The Domino Eight
by SuperNeos2
Summary: Jaden and the others head to Domino City for summer vacation. But once they step off the boat, something shocking happens that sends them on a gruelling journey that'll test and break their limits. In the end, no one will be the same and a few may never return to Duel Academy. Spin-Off story to Supreme King Jaden. JadenxAlexis! R&R!
1. Screeching Halt

Disclaimer: Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX

**AN: It is time my friends! Time for the story I haven't shut up about since I announced it! The spin off to 'Supreme King Jaden'!**

**Time to start the next part in Jaden's journey and arguably, the most challenging part of his life. He and Jason both are gonna change drastically in this story.**

**I am so excited for this and I hope you all stay for the journey. It's gonna get really good and exciting and I hope to have all of you for the adventure.**

**The story starts a little slow, but when we jump into the action, we're not leaving! Get ready for an action packed adventure with a bunch of character development and drama that will tug at the heart strings.**

**I am quite honest when I say that this story may be better than 'Supreme King Jaden'. It's definitely one of my favorites.**

**And also if you haven't read 'Supreme King Jaden' yet, some very crucial plot points are gonna be spoiled. So you should probably read that first. If you don't mind spoilers, then come on in :)**

**And lastly, be aware... no one is safe... remember that.**

**Enjoy**

Chapter 1- Screeching Halt

Somewhere in the city of Domino, someone sat in their office staring down below at the contents of their desk. His eyes roamed around from object to object as his plan formed replayed within his head. The sun shone in his face, but he didn't pay it any mind, simply turning his face so he can better observe the clutter that was situated on his desk.

Piles of papers were scattered across a rectangular wooden desk. Folders were both opened and closed shut as more pieces of paper were situated inside. Pen marks were crossed over many different lines on select pieces of paper, notes doodled either at the top or off to the sides of the paper.

What was interesting about the pieces of paper was the contents of each. Hospital records; video feed images; forensics evidence; fingerprints; and two square pictures of two boys attached to the top of a folder by paperclip.

Two boys that looked identical apart from one wearing bandages.

Name were imprinted on a tiny black box on the bottom of each square picture.

Names that read 'Jaden Yuki' and 'Jason Yuki'.

Behind the desk was a reclining chair with a tall figure sitting in it, grabbing a folder from the table before he glanced at the contents inside. A satisfied smirk situated on his face, he shut it before throwing it back on the desk and reclining back in the chair.

After months of planning, it was finally finished. After all the favors that were called in and all the sleepless nights that had been endured, it was finally finished. After all the adjusting and tweaking that had been made, it was finally finished.

As the figure relaxed, the door to his office opened. He sat back up and took a glance ahead to see who it was, smirking when he did.

The second figure tossed a cassette tape on the first figure's desk.

"It's done?" The first figure asked as he held and looked at the cassette tape.

The second figure nodded, "After much editing, it's perfect..." he said proudly, a cruel smirk situated on his lips.

"And the time?"

"Two o'clock, just as we agreed..."

The first figure smirked right on back, "Then we're ready..." he said as he stood up. He tightened his hold on the cassette tape. "With this tape," he tapped a finger against his desk. "And all this evidence, the Yuki bastards are ruined..."

"Revenge has been achieved!"

"No..." the first figure smirked. "Revenge will be achieved when they arrive today in Domino..." the figure pulled out a cell phone. He dialed three numbers before he pressed the 'Send' button. As the phone rang, he added...

"Once they're caught..."

...

Jaden yawned as he stretched his arms.

He was standing on the deck of the ship that was taking him and others back to Domino City. He was still wearing his Slifer Red jacket despite the year now being officially over. He loved the jacket and what it represented and didn't want to part with it anytime soon.

He stared ahead at the ocean, taking in the smells and the sight of the clear blue water. Thoughts went through his head as he replayed everything that happened to him within the last year at Duel Academy.

Making friends that would stick by him through thick and thin.

Finally overcoming the struggle within him and fully merging with Haou.

Saving the world from the Shadow Riders and sealing away the Sacred Beasts after accepting that it would be for the best that he not have them. The extra power would be too much for him and could, most likely, corrupt him down the road and turn him into another Haou.

His disabled twin, Jason, had found his voice after nearly getting killed by Kagemaru during their duel against him. Even though he still had one eye, Jaden and him both, as well as their friends, were happy that he can finally talk.

And lastly, possibly the best one, he and his brother had found love. They each had gotten themselves a girlfriend that they both loved very much. Jaden's girlfriend was Alexis Rhodes, a beautiful dark blonde haired girl who was the best of the Obelisk Blue girls. His brother's girlfriend was Asami Elric, a very pretty girl with waist length wavy pink hair who was the second best of the Obelisk Blue girls, only behind Alexis.

Even though there were slight hiccups in the year, everything turned out great. They saved the world, beaten the bad guy, and gotten the girl. It was a cliché brought to life, but it was all good for them.

Sensing eyes on him, he blinked before he turned around to see who it was. He smiled as he saw it was his girlfriend in her Obelisk Blue uniform, who was smiling back at him with the smile that made him weak in the knees. He could feel himself start to buckle and his heartbeat start to increase as he stared at her.

It still perplexed him how HE managed to get HER. He was almost sure that if Haou didn't show up in spirit form during his duel with Tania, then he and Alexis wouldn't be together since they never would've had that moment after he explained to his friends his past as The Supreme King.

But then again, they did kiss before then and had indirectly become fiancés after Jaden's duel with Harrington. So, maybe even before then, he had some kind of chance.

Well no matter what the cause was, he was still glad he had her in his life.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hey yourself," she said back. She walked up to him and took a spot next to him at the deck of the ship, both looking out over the railing and towards the ocean that they were currently sailing over.

"I thought you were still sleeping?" Alexis asked. Jaden cocked an eyebrow at her, nodding just slightly in recognition at his previous words.

"Yeah, I was... But then when I was coming back from breakfast, I saw the beautiful waves and I just kinda froze in this spot..." he smiled a little. "Reminds me of that time..."

Alexis smiled too once she figured it out. "That afternoon before the first Titan and Anarchy incident..." she nodded. "We watched the waves before class."

"Only this time is a lot better..."

"Oh, why so?" She humored him.

Jaden's response was to position himself behind her, wrap his arms around her waist, and lean his head on her shoulder.

"Because I can do this..." he answered with a smirk.

Alexis blushed light red at Jaden's action. Even though they've been dating for around two to three months now, she still found herself blushing from time to time whenever Jaden did something romantic. She chalked it up to the way Jaden unexpectedly showed her affection. He didn't give her time to prepare.

And she loved it like that.

It showed he wasn't afraid to show her affection anytime anywhere.

She cupped one of her hands around his cheek, leaning towards it and kissing his temple.

"You're a regular Casanova, you know that?" She teased.

"Well considering you're my first girlfriend... No, I did not know..." he answered. He unwrapped one of his arms from her waist to grab the hand that was cupping his cheek and held it in a soft but loving hold.

Alexis nearly forgot that Jaden didn't have any dating experience. Neither he nor Jason had any luck with the girls before her and her friend Asami. She remembered Jaden saying how all Jason wanted was someone to like him despite his faults and when they all turned him down, Jaden didn't bother with them because he wouldn't sell out or leave his brother. She admired his loyalty. It was one of his strongest traits.

"Well you are..." she said affirmatively. "So don't forget it."

"Since you said it, it's forever documented in my head and heart." He laughed. It was here that Jaden seemed to notice a red fabric that was wrapped around her neck. He looked it over with a keen eye before he remembered. "Your mom's scarf?"

Alexis nodded slowly as she gently pulled herself away from Jaden's hold. The warmness didn't have a chance to be missed as she turned around and immediately leaned back into Jaden's awaiting embrace.

"Yeah," she placed her head in his chest as he hugged her. "Since I have it back, might as well wear it." She answered.

"It looks great on you," Jaden complimented as he kissed the top of her head. She smiled, but didn't say anything else, just enjoying the feeling of Jaden's arms around her.

They stayed like this for a minute, Jaden holding her and Alexis just staying situated between his arms and his chest. Neither wanted to move from their spot. The sounds of the waves splashing against the helm of the ship and the smell of the ocean coupled with the warmness that they were each giving to the other, it was like they were the two main characters in a love story.

Finally, after two minutes of silence, Alexis was the one to break it.

"Can I ask you something?"

Jaden smiled, although she couldn't see due to him looking out towards the ocean.

"Anything..."

She let out a tiny giggle at his charm. She liked it when he did that. She liked that he allowed her free range when talking to him. The amount of trust that they each gave the other, her opening up to him about her despair at Atticus' disappearance and Jaden only telling her a dark truth about his past as Haou, was awe inspiring.

"How would you like to be my date to Asami's birthday party on Saturday?"

Jaden chuckled just a tiny bit before he nodded his head accordingly. "Of course. There wasn't a need to ask that."

"But I thought you said the only dumb questions are those that aren't asked?" She smirked as she pulled back from his chest to look at him in the eyes.

Jaden held up a finger, "Ah, I never said the question was stupid. I just said there wasn't a need to ask it since the answer was obvious..."

Knowing he was right, Alexis decided to continue with the teasing anyway. Since the boat wouldn't sail into Domino until 12:00 PM and it was only 10:30 now, she needed to make her own fun. What better way than to tease Jaden?

"So since the answer was obvious, you're implying that the question was stupid?"

She did a really good job at hiding the amusement she felt upon seeing Jaden's eyes widen and his hand encircling around his wrist as he started mumbling and looking around.

Alexis swore she heard him ask, "What did I say?" In a small confused and slightly annoyed tone as he kept looking around, probably wondering if some kind of answer will be handed to him.

She tried biting back a smirk, but she ultimately failed. Seeing the smirk on her face gave him that answer he was looking for.

"Why do you like screwing with me?" He whined.

"Because it's fun." She let the smirk grow at his slight uneasiness that was presented in his eyes.

"Not for me!" He whined again.

"Okay, Moody, no need to start acting like a baby..."

He pouted, "I am not a baby!" He realized what he did and shut his mouth, not wanting to keep contradicting himself to her, knowing he would keep giving her ammo to use against him.

Alexis saw how much this was upsetting him. Her love for him quickly took over before her need to have amusement did. She grabbed his hands and pulled him back to her, placing her lips on his chin. She traced a path with her mouth that went from his chin, to his cheek, and finally his lips.

Jaden, for the moment, forgot about his annoyance to his girlfriend's remarks as he kissed her back. He grabbed her shoulders as she wrapped her arms back around his chest.

After a handful of seconds, they pulled back. Like before, Alexis was the one to break the silence.

"I was only teasing..." she explained.

He nodded, "Yeah, I know... I just wish it wasn't at my expense." She smiled. "Despite your cruel treatment of me, the answer is still yes." He answered.

She nodded in confirmation. "Okay, good to know," the two of them pulled away and went back to their positions from before, looking back out to the ocean as they held hands.

"What's Jason and Asami doing?" Jaden asked. He hadn't seen Jason or Asami since they stepped on board the ship. He slept all day yesterday and he's been standing here for the majority of today, so he didn't know what his twin or what his girlfriend was up to.

"They're in Asami's cabin..." the smirk on Jaden's face was not lost on Alexis. "Jesus, Jaden, get your head out of the gutter!" She smacked his arm lightly with her free hand.

He chuckled, "I was just messing with you," he responded with a soft rub over his arm.

"It's her birthday, so I guess Jason's gonna spend all day with her..."

"He does that anyway." Jaden stated.

She shrugged, "But he has the whole day planned for the two of them."

Jaden raised an eyebrow at that little piece of information. He didn't know that.

Alexis smiled deviously at the confused look on Jaden's face. "He didn't tell you because he knew you would be all over him..." she answered, remembering the conversation that she and Jason shared two days ago when he was making plans.

Jaden frowned lightly, "No I wouldn't. Why would he say that?" Jaden was slightly appalled that Jason didn't tell him his plans when they told each other everything. He was actually a little offended.

"Because he's planning on giving her special cards he spent all his money on just for her..." Alexis said.

Jaden was still confused. So why couldn't Jason tell him that?

"He said he took it from the Flame Wingman bag."

That son of a bitch, Jaden thought. Now it all made sense. That was where Jaden kept HIS money.

"He stole my money!?" Jaden exclaimed loud enough for the entire boat to hear him. If anyone was still sleeping, they were definitely up now. "Why!?"

"Fifth birthday party picture..." was all Alexis had to say to get him to shut up. "He said it was payback."

Jaden remembered. Shortly after Jason and Asami started dating, he had given hints to the existence of a picture from his and Jason's childhood that had the former mute in his underwear eating a piece of their fifth birthday cake with frosting and crumbs all over him... And then one day he gave it to her.

Jaden thought she would find it adorable.

And while she did, Jason wasn't happy. He swore he would get him back for giving his girlfriend that picture. Looks like he made due on that promise.

Alexis giggled at the look on Jaden's face, "It's not always funny to pick on your brother, huh?" She teased.

"No..." he admitted softly, now wondering how much of his money Jason had spent on Asami's birthday present.

Seeing how upset he was, Alexis gave him a comforting hug. "It's okay. Come on, let's go see what everyone else is up to..."

Jaden nodded and let his girlfriend start to lead him to the back of the boat.

As they walked, Jaden found himself thinking about upcoming events. The most thought about one being meeting Alexis' parents. He could feel his palms start to sweat as the fear plagued him.

The fear that her parents would hate him for one or many reasons.

He really wanted her parents to like him, considering he wanted to be with Alexis as long as possible. He never had to do this before, which is what he told Atticus on Duel Monsters Spirit Day. He also told him that despite everything he's been through, including meeting Haou for the first time and the death of his parents; he wasn't as scared as he was right now when it came to meeting her parents.

Atticus had told him that he had nothing to worry about. That their parents would like him. Even though he appreciated the words, he still had a small pang of nervousness and fear on how her parents would judge them.

No matter what any parent said, Jaden knew that they always judged the boyfriend or girlfriend of their child. At least, he thought so. He felt it was something that was unavoidable.

He did judge Asami before she and Jason started dating and he knew Jason had judged Alexis. They just wanted the other to be happy.

Which is why he felt the way he did.

Alexis noticed his small unease. "What?" She stared concerned. "You okay?"

Jaden almost cursed himself for the worried look he allowed to cross his face. He sometimes had to curse his girlfriend's ability to be observant.

He shrugged, "I'm fine... A little anxious, but it's nothing I can't handle." He smiled easily, hoping she'll accept what he was saying and drop it.

She didn't. "You never get anxious outside of a duel," she pointed out. He begrudgingly admitted that was true. She stopped walking to look down at his eyes. It amused Jaden that she was a little taller than him. He liked differentiation from the norm. Having a girlfriend who was taller than you wasn't common.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Just tell me..."

He sighed, knowing that he needed to say something. "Your parents..."

"Oh..." she awed in understanding before she grew a smile. "You don't need to be nervous about meeting my parents. They'll love you."

"Atticus said the same thing," Jaden nodded. "Still doesn't help out my anxiety."

"Just so long as you aren't a criminal or hate sports, they'll love you." She assured him. Her mom was a lawyer that dealt with criminals on a regular basis and her dad was a construction worker that lived and breathed sports when not on the job. As long as Jaden was okay with that, then everything would be great.

Jaden smiled again, feeling a little better. "Now I don't feel as much anxiety..."

Alexis smiled after seeing that was as good as it was gonna get. "Okay then, let's go meet the others."

Jaden pecked her forehead before they continued the walk.

...

In one of the cabins, a duel was taking place between two people. One was wearing the Slifer Red uniform, had brown hair, and one brown eye with the right side of his face in bandages. This was Jason Yuki, twin brother to Jaden.

The other was a beautiful girl with pink hair that went down to her waist and was wavy. She had emerald green eyes and was wearing the Obelisk Blue girl uniform. This was Asami Elric, girlfriend to Jason.

"I win!"

Jason gave a surprised look when Asami slapped down her Gearfried the Swordmaster on the bed in Asami's room. They were having a duel upon her request and she had just won.

He had 700 life points left and only Rioichi Cooper on his field in attack mode with 1700 ATK points. Asami had 300 and her Gearfried the Iron Knight with 1800. They both had no cards in their hand and no spells or traps on the field.

She had drawn Release Restraint, sealing the game and her victory.

"I attack!" She declared as she tapped Jason's raccoon card.

Jason: 0

Asami: 300 (Winner)

He gave a proud smile to her, "Good job." He congratulated as they both picked up their cards from the sheets. "You played really well." He stated.

She smiled back in response, "You did too, but it looks like I win this one..." she grinned.

"Can't win 'em all," Jason put his cards back in his deck box. He took a seat as Asami finished and hopped onto the bed next to him, wrapping an arm around Jason's waist.

"I know," she said as he wrapped an arm around her own waist. "I'm still surprised I beat you. If you didn't have any other cards, I would've guessed you let me win because it's my birthday."

Jason smiled, "Well I didn't let you win. You won because you're amazing." He praised, kissing her on the cheek.

She smiled. "Thank you..." she kissed him back.

"You want your birthday presents now?" He asked after a moment of silence.

Her eyes widened. "You got me more than one?!" She was shocked. Jason didn't have to do that for her. She already knew she was getting one; a painting that she had gotten one glimpse of him doing in art class a few weeks back. But now he was saying she was getting more? He was doing more than she felt was necessary.

He smiled easily as he leaned sideways and reached to the floor, pulling up a large red colored bag that he had brought in this morning when he surprised her with a visit.

Asami saw the size of the bag and was wondering what can be in there that was so big. Excited, she sat back so she couldn't see inside the bag. She wanted everything to be a surprise.

Jason reached inside and first pulled out another bag, but one that was smaller and blue. He reached inside and pulled out a handful of Duel Monsters cards. There were around twenty.

He blushed, "Since you use Warriors, I thought you might like these." He said as he handed his girlfriend the stack of cards. He hoped she liked them. Jaden was gonna kill him for stealing his money once he found out, so he at least hoped that it was worth it.

Asami looked them over, a small beautiful smile grazing her face that Jason just loved so much. He always felt himself relax and calm when she smiled around him, finding it to be perfect on her. To him, she was the most beautiful girl in the world.

He had noticed girls before, but due to his muteness, no one wanted to go out with him. They never even gave him a chance just because he couldn't talk... and it hurt him really bad. Made him feel like he'll never be worth anything in his whole life just because he was born mute.

Asami was the only girl that gave him a chance. She was the only girl that saw past all the things that was wrong with him, and there were many of those; but she didn't care. She loved him for the person that he was, which was all Jason had wanted in his life; more so than even getting a new eye or his voice.

And he was happy that it was Asami who had given him the chance. He still thanked all mighty beings for allowing him to meet her. She was so nice, really loving, an amazing duelist, and sassy when she needed to be, and that was just the start to all the things he loved about her. It also made him feel more lucky that he had her since she was also drop dead gorgeous, at least to him.

Before he met Asami, hell, before he met any of his friends, Jason was a mess. He was already missing an eye after getting shot when he was ten, couldn't talk up until two weeks ago, and was so shy and timid that Jaden had to do everything for him.

Meeting his friends and, he was sure of this one, the love of his life made him a better person and he was eternally grateful to all of them. He wished he could do more than simply give his girlfriend some Duel Monsters cards. He wished he could give her everything and anything she wanted before he died.

He would be dead in a few years due to his brain taking damage from when the bullet hit him that took his eye. He hoped he can give and receive many happy memories before he was done.

He wanted to go happy, not regretful.

Asami stared at one of the monster cards, showing a man in blue and white armor holding a giant sword.

"Lightray Gearfried?"

He nodded, "Yeah, they're a new Warrior series that recently came out. And since you like using Warrior cards, I figured I buy them for you."

She smiled brightly as she set her new cards down carefully and wrapped her arms around Jason in a tight hug like she always did when she was thanking him. He hugged her back, but not as tight as she was holding him. He laughed when he realized how strong she was.

She then gave him a long affectionate kiss on his forehead. "Thank you... Thank you so much..."

She loved Jason with all her heart. He had given her more fun in her life and was the first boy to like her even though she had a learning disability. He was one of her best friends and she was glad that they had made the scary move to start dating, both being scared of how their friendship could've gone if they started dating.

When they first met, Jason was so shy that anytime she engaged him in conversation, he looked away from her. Although she found his shyness cute, she liked him more when he was confident. If it wasn't for that confidence, then he never would've engaged in that duel that led to them confessing their feelings for each other.

She was glad it happened for better or worse. She was glad she can give Jason all the love that he deserved. He was the perfect catch to her. Kind, caring, selfless, and adorable. She really couldn't care less that he was mute for the majority of the time they knew each other or that he was missing half his face. He was everything she ever wanted in someone emotionally.

The two of them just stared lovingly at one another before Jason reached inside the large red back, pulling out a black box. There was a piece of paper taped on it with a tag that read 'To my Warrior Princess'.

She smiled softly at the tag as she kissed his cheek.

She opened it to see that it was a carbon copy of the blue cap Jason wore that was worn by his favorite monster: Sly Cooper.

Jason blushed again as he smiled shyly, "I remember you telling me that you liked the hat. I had another copy and thought you might like it. You can wear it when it's cold."

She nodded as she gave him a hug. "I love it..." she admitted honestly as she set it on her head. "How's it look?"

"You look better in it than I do," he laughed, brushing a strand of her long pink hair that wasn't covered by the hat behind her ear. "You look beautiful."

She smiled right back, "Thank you..."

"I got one more present for you..." he revealed.

"Another?" She was both shocked and excited, but also felt a little bad. Jason already bought her a new series of cards and gave her something that had a lot of sentimental value to him. What else could he give her? She then remembered she had yet to get the painting he promised.

Jason reached into the bag for a third time. This time, he pulled out a large white binder. He shoved the red bag off the bed as he pressed his back against the wall after slipping out of Asami's hold, binder in hand.

He tapped the spot next to him, Asami smiling before she curled up next to him. Jason wrapped one arm around her shoulders, his girlfriend wrapping one arm around his waist again in response.

"I've been working on this since Duel Monsters Spirit Day," he revealed.

"What's in it?"

Jason smiled, "You'll see as we go along..."

Confused and excited, she nodded her head as she motioned for Jason to start.

Jason flipped it open, showing a sketch. The picture depicted him, her, Jaden, Alexis, and Syrus at the Obelisk arena. Her hair was shorter than it was now, remembering that she only used to have it up to her shoulders. She let her hair grow out when she and Jason started dating, wanting to be as pretty as she can be for him.

Jason tapped the sketch, "This picture shows us the first time we met." He explained. "We met at the Obelisk arena when Chazz wanted to duel me for the first time..."

She nodded, remembering that.

Jason turned the page, showing another sketch. This one showed him and Jaden standing on top of two rowboats wearing duel disks with her and Alexis across from them, also standing on boats and wearing duel disks.

She recognized it, "This is when we all dueled the first time!" She exclaimed.

He nodded with a smile, "Bingo," he laughed. "That was when we really started to get an opinion on each other."

She smirked, "What was your first opinion of me?"

He chuckled, "That you were a great and sexy duelist." He answered. He smirked, "What was yours of me?"

"That you were a nice person and a great duelist who was also really cute." She winked.

"You thought I was cute back then?" He asked, honestly surprised after hearing that. He didn't think Asami started developing feelings for him until after he saved her from Anarchy.

She nodded, "Of course I did..." she answered. "You caught my eye with how unique you were. A mute duelist? I was interested." She said.

"I'm not mute anymore..."

She smiled, "And thank God for that..."

Jason had to smile. He was happy he can talk now too, it being his biggest wish and something he prayed he could do everyday. He even asked Santa Claus when he was younger in his Christmas lists if he could give him a voice.

She ran a hand across the page as a thought came to her. "You drew every moment between us?" If this was true, then Jason just probably cemented himself forever as the best boyfriend ever. That would require a lot of time, work, and energy.

He smiled cheekily at getting caught. "Yep. I drew every moment that I felt was important to us and our relationship."

"Awww..." Asami had to gush. That was so sweet.

He turned the page, which showed her kissing his cheek outside the Abandoned Dorm. "Our first cheek kiss," he turned to one that showed her and him holding hands outside the Slifer Dorm. "You telling me that you speak sign language,"

The next one showed the two of them in a snowy setting engaged in a lip lock. They both smiled warmly at the picture, both reliving the moment when they saw what it was.

"Our first lip kiss..." they said in unison. They both turned to the other and laughed before reenacting the moment in the picture.

Jason turned the page again, showing them hugging in his room at the Slifer Dorm. Unlike all the others so far, he didn't have his bandages on in this one; showing the other side to his face with the empty eye hole and swelled up face.

Asami smiled, "When we got together..." this was her favorite one so far. That day that they had dropped the hammer and confessed was a day that she'll never forget for the rest of her life.

Jason nodded, "I love this one. I always feel happy when I look at it..." he worked hard on all pictures in here, but the amount of effort he put into this one was clearly remembered. He didn't let anything distract him from doing it. He sat still on the chair at the desk in his room and didn't move until the art was pure perfect.

Asami looked at the book and to him, "May I...?"

He chuckled, a sound she never got tired of, as he handed it to her. "Of course! It's yours..."

Asami giggled as she turned the next page. Next was a picture of her and Jason on their first date as a couple, sitting in the Academy Store feeding each other pieces of a sandwich. The detail was marvelous and with the careful coloring, Asami felt like she was really there; watching her and Jason be a couple. Her boyfriend was such an amazing artist. If he wasn't trying to be a duelist, he should really consider a career in drawing.

As she flipped through the binder, she felt like she was traveling down memory lane as she took in every picture...

There was one of her and Jason having a picnic by the main Academy building.

Another showed the two of them in the infirmary after his duel with the Shadow Rider Rose.

The next was one of the two of them hugging after she had beaten Anarchy, one of their enemies from the beginning of the year that had come back as a Shadow Rider.

She felt her cheeks redden as she looked at the next one. She was dressed up as Elemental Hero Lady Heat and Jason was dressed as Elemental Hero Heat. Why her cheeks redden was because she remembered Jason's reaction to seeing her in the costume.

He had a 'friend' down south when he laid eyes on her.

Still, she didn't mind. He was a boy. It was normal for him to think like that. She looked at him to see that his cheeks were red too, probably thinking about what happened as well.

She gave him an easy going smile that had him smiling right back. She could see his only brown eye sparkle in pure love and light as he stared at her. It gave her a feeling in the pit of her stomach that made her feel all warm and secure, like nothing can hurt her when she was with him. It also made her feel a little weak in the knees, making her glad she was sitting or else she would've buckled down to the floor.

Jason was thinking similar thoughts.

As he stared into Asami's beautiful emerald green eyes, he could feel his heartbeat start to accelerate; something that hadn't stopped even when they started dating. He just couldn't help it when he was around her. She made him feel so many different emotions all at once that his body and mind sometimes couldn't handle it. He didn't hate that actually. He welcomed it. He loved feeling this way since he knew that meant that there was something between them.

Something they both cherished more than anything else that they owned.

Love.

Their emotions pulled them both in as their lips collided with the other. Asami slid the binder to the foot of the bed as she wrapped her arms around Jason's neck, circling her tongue around his lips.

Jason responded with his arms around her waist as he opened his mouth, granting her tongue passage into his mouth. Feeling bold, he started to suck on her tongue; getting a moan out of her that he felt sounded sexy coming from her. He could feel himself start to get 'excited' again, but was temporarily able to stop it.

He didn't want this make out session to stop because he couldn't keep some self control.

After Jason finished sucking on her tongue, Asami retaliated with sticking it down his throat. The passion that was going on was getting her excited, making her climb into Jason's lap as she continued to keep her lips pressed against his. If one didn't really look and only took a small glance, it would look like she was trying to suffocate him.

While Asami shoved her tongue down her boyfriend's throat, Jason was fiddling with his hands. He didn't know where this next dose of confidence came from, but he found his right hand traveling up Asami's shirt; his hand encircling around her left breast and giving a small little squeeze.

Instead of gasping, screaming, or hitting, Asami simply squealed against his lips as she cupped her hands around Jason's cheeks, breathing in her nose as she kept their kiss going. Surprisingly, it was only thirty seconds into the make out session... but it was by far their hottest make out session yet...

At least that's what they were both thinking.

Ten seconds later, they both pulled back, panting and huffing as they each regained their breath they lost from their make out session.

Asami saw where Jason's hand still was. She turned red as Jason followed her vision to see that his hand was still clasped around her breast. Embarrassed, he pulled back frantically; looking down to the bed sheets below him as he avoided looking at her.

"Sorry..." was all he could think to say, feeling slightly ashamed at his eagerness to touch her. He's been having these thoughts about her ever since he saw her in her Elemental Hero Lady Heat costume. He got a good look at her figure and his mind immediately had gone to a new place; a place where he had thoughts about wanting Asami... And not just as his girlfriend...

He wanted her.

Wanted to show her how much he appreciated and loved her.

Asami shook her head at him, brushing a hand through his hair. "It's okay..." she eased his regret. She lifted a finger through his bandages, stroking the white tape around her boyfriend's face with the up most care. She actually didn't mind that Jason had done what he did. In a way, it gave her pleasure; rattling her nerves with a thrill that she had never experienced before.

And she liked it.

"No it's not," he sighed. "I got carried away..."

She kissed his temple, "I know you didn't do it because you're a pervert. You did it because you love me..."

He did. He did love her.

And he wanted to show her that in every way he can.

"I do love you... but still..."

She then gave him a teasing smirk, one that made him feel slightly apprehensive as his sentence got cut off. She moved her lips to his ear.

"But next time, just give me a heads up... I just might let you do more..." she whispered in a teasing and alluring tone along with a flirty wink. She mentally giggled at the shocked look on his face, moving her fingers away from his bandages.

She honestly didn't mind if Jason touched her. Just as long as that wasn't all he wanted from her, which she knew from the bottom of the heart that wasn't the case. They've been dating for five months now. She felt they were dating long enough to start that step. They did talk a few weeks ago about a very likely future of the two of them making love when they were a little bit older.

Might as well work up to it.

Plus... she's had fantasies before about Jason groping her. It was a combination of her hormones and love for him that gave her those ideas. This was the first time he had done something like this, but it was an exhilarating feeling that she felt when he had touched her. She turned cherry red on the inside when she thought that. Geez, maybe SHE was the pervert between them.

"Really?" He asked in surprise. She nodded. He grinned. "You are the best girlfriend ever, you know that?"

Asami smirked, "I guess I am..." she giggled as he laughed. They sat in a five second silence before she saw him trying to say something.

Jason wanted to ask, but he didn't want to feel like or come across as a weirdo. He loved Asami, yes, but because she was an amazing person. She loved him despite everything and he loved her for it. The last thing he wanted to do was jeopardize that by going too fast.

But he still felt his hand twitch.

Asami saw that Jason was holding back. He had his head bowed down as his hand twitched, possibly in anticipation given by his labored breathing.

She figured out he wanted to ask.

She smiled and nodded, feeling all giddy as her heartbeat started to pick up in anticipation for the thrilling feeling. "Go right ahead, Sweetie..." she approved, killing all sense of doubt and hesitation Jason had.

Jason found himself smiling softly. As his hand reached over to make another grab at her breast, the sound of someone knocking on the door interrupted them. Jason clenched his jaw as he shook his fist in the air as Asami giggled a little bit at her boyfriend's attitude and reaction to his 'cop a feel' moment being delayed.

She looked over to the door. "Come in!"

Entering the room was Jaden and Alexis, both wandering their eyes over to the other couple in the room. Jaden stared at the cards that had sprawled out along the bed during the make out session and Alexis looked over to the open binder that was in between Jason and Asami.

She caught a glimpse of the picture of Jason and Asami dressed as the Elemental Hero Heats and gasped. "That's amazing!" She exclaimed. She turned to Jason, who was currently locked in a silent debate with Jaden. Due to the movement of their faces and their eyes not leaving the sight of the other, added on to Jaden jabbing a finger to the cards on Asami's bed, it was clear what they were arguing about.

Asami was the only oblivious one. "What's going on?"

Jaden turned to look at her. He didn't think once about telling Asami that Jason had taken money from him to pay for the cards. Not only was it her birthday, but he knew that after everything he had gotten Jason into their whole lives, he kinda deserved this. He just wished that Jason asked him instead of going behind his back.

"But you did that to him with the picture," Jaden turned at the new voice to see that his spirit partner, Yubel, was standing next to him.

Jaden frowned, 'Valid point...' he agreed. She smirked before disappearing again.

Seeing Asami was still looking for an answer, he shook his head with a smile. "Nothing, Sami..." he dismissed as he walked over to give her a hug when she stood up. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks," she hugged back before they pulled apart. She grinned over at Alexis, arms spread out. "What? No hug from Lexi?" She feigned a hurt gasp.

Alexis shook her head with a small smile before she went to embrace her best friend in a hug.

As they hugged, Jason looked to Jaden and in sign language, the language he spoke the majority of his life, told him that he'll pay him back. He needed a few extra dollars to cover the cost for Asami's present.

Jaden shrugged, but gave his brother a small smile. He responded with the notion that he just wished he asked instead of going behind his back. Jason nodded, responding with the fact that he was overtaken by his anger and annoyance at Jaden's decision to give Asami that horrid picture.

The girls released each other from their hold as Asami picked up the binder that was left on the bed. "You gotta see what Jason made me!" She was practically bouncing on her heels as she showed the picture of the two of them in the Slifer Dorm hugging. "He drew every important moment between us!"

"He did!?" Jaden was also surprised. Now because his brother had done it, but because that would take a very long time to do.

Jason shrugged in response to Jaden's exclamation.

Alexis was also surprised. "That's really sweet, Jason." She said. Again, he shrugged. "How long did it take you to draw them?"

"Let's see..." he thought it over. "There's thirteen pictures and each one took me a few days each. With all the time I spent adding color and smoothing out the lines... I'm gonna say... two months, maybe two and a half." He answered.

Asami held the binder to her chest. "This is by far the best present anyone has ever given me..." she looked to her boyfriend, sharing a loving smile with him that made it seem like they were the only two in the world.

She blinked when she realized something, "Wait... thirteen? I only saw ten." Immediately, she went to where she and Jason had stopped in the binder and turned to the next picture.

It was her and Jason at the beach building a sandcastle when they had the double date with Jaden and Alexis. She had to smirk deviously when she saw the clear effort Jason had put in to her bikini that she wore that day. He was adorably perverted, even if he didn't mean to be.

The next was her smothering him with kisses at the spot where he and Jaden had dueled Kagemaru. Jason had lost during the duel and temporarily died due to his dueling spirit getting sucked away. After he woke up, he had gained his voice.

The final one wasn't a moment between them from what she could see. Instead, this one showed just her. It was her in her Obelisk Blue uniform, duel disk activated and holding a lone card in her hand with a determined smirk on her face. Her emerald eyes were a pretty shade of green and her hair was drawn wavy like she had it now, but a slightly lighter shade of pink than she really had; signalling the end of the colored pencil that Jason had used.

Queens Knight, Kings Knight, and Jacks Knight were carefully drawn to the left, above, and to the right of her respectively, swords drawn like if they were ready for combat. They weren't drawn as large as her body shot was, but small like if they were spirits or guardian angels.

There was a note written at the bottom right.

She read it aloud, "To the best Warrior Duelist ever... and also the best girlfriend ever." She smiled. "Happy birthday, Asami... I love you with all my heart and I always will my Warrior Princess. Signed, your boyfriend and Raccoon Prince forever: Jason Yuki."

Asami awed as she turned to her boyfriend and scooped him up into a kiss. She felt so honored and so cherished that he would write something that beautiful to her.

It made her want him more.

Even Alexis awed at the cuteness of the note.

"Damn, Jason," Jaden grinned. "You're a regular Casanova, you know that?"

"I said that to you," Alexis pointed out as Jason and Asami weren't even paying attention to them anymore.

"Yeah, but compared to Jason, I fall flat." His brother had always been the sweet one between them. Even though Jaden was a nice guy, he did have his moments where he can be considered an asshole. Jason on the other hand... He was as harmless and squeaky as a mouse, despite his major confidence boost he had gotten over their first year.

Alexis smiled, "You're every bit as romantic as him..." she said, wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

"I would've never thought to do what he did,"

"Maybe not exactly what he did, but you would've thought of something in your own unique way." She smirked, "My birthday is in a month. You can figure something out then..."

Jaden smiled, "I'll do my best."

He then took notice of the hat on Asami's head after the two pulled apart. "I see he also gave you his copy of the Sly hat." He sounded more intrigued than observant.

Asami ran her left hand over the blue cap, "Um-hm," she nodded. "I told him once in passing I liked it, he remembered, and gave me one." She also collected her new cards. "And lastly, he gave me these."

"Three presents..." Alexis counted. "Sixteen if you count each picture by itself..."

"One for every year she's been on this planet." Jason explained, a little proud at the equal number.

"Jesus, Jason; I can't wait to see what you give her for Christmas." Jaden cracked. 'Just as long as he stays away from the Flame Wingman bag!' He silently declared.

Jason smiled, "I'm sure I'll think of something better..."

Asami smiled too, "Just draw me a few more pictures for this." She motioned to the binder.

Jason claimed her in a hug, "If you say so..."

"Okay," Alexis broke in. "Everyone wants to see the birthday girl." She stood in the doorway. "So let's go see them..."

Asami set her binder on the bed as the group of four left the room.

...

Two minutes later, Jaden and the others were standing in the dining room of the boat. Also standing there at a table in the middle was Chazz Princeton, Atticus Rhodes, Bastion Misawa, and Syrus and Zane Truesdale.

A medium size ice cream birthday cake was in the middle of the table, sixteen candles lit with 'Happy Sweet 16 Asami' spelled out with red icing.

"Happy birthday!" All shouted, except for Zane, who simply nodded his head.

The birthday girl was surprised. "Wha?"

Jaden grinned, "Like the cake?" He turned to Alexis. "Lexi got it at the Academy Store the other day."

Asami looked to her friend, who smiled. The birthday girl felt her chest start to flutter as she embraced her best friend. "Thank you..."

"Happy birthday," she spoke back as they kept the hug going for a few seconds before pulling apart.

Atticus grinned as he jumped into the fray. "Well since the cake is already out, we might as well eat it, right?"

Chazz sighed, "Impatient," he muttered, getting laughs out of those who heard him and a pout from Atticus himself.

The group of friends all simply laughed as Chazz held out the knife to cut the cake.

...

"We're home!"

Jaden took in the sights and smells as they all stepped off of the ship. Alexis was next to him with Atticus on his phone, possibly calling his parents.

Chazz looked around the pier as he stepped off. "Nice to know I got some place to go where people actually care about me."

Due to his brothers disowning him after the School Duel, Chazz had been accepted by Jaden and Jason both as a member of their family after seeing all he wanted was for someone to like him. Despite all the pain Chazz had caused with his words due to his jealousy to their brotherly relationship, they still welcomed him with open arms.

Jason smiled as he clapped Chazz on the back. "You'll like the house. Since our parents owned it before they died, me and Jay are able to stay there."

Chazz was still confused, "Shouldn't you guys be in an orphanage or something since you have no other relatives?"

Jaden shrugged, "I left after the scumbag who ran the place tried to get his hands on our inheritance." Their friends gasped. "Jason was still in his coma at the time."

"Rough," Syrus muttered.

Jason shrugged this time, "Well since our parents own it, they couldn't just take it away." He smirked. "Especially since 'Aunt Lucy' is also listed on the list of owners."

"Who?" Asami asked.

"Remember how I said I can temporarily bring Duel Spirits to life?" Jaden asked as they all nodded. "Yubel is really 'Aunt Lucy'." He revealed.

The monster in question groaned at her fake identity. "I still hate that name."

"Since we don't wanna lose the house, I forged my mother's signature on the papers and signed that name so me and Jason can still live there with Aunt Lucy as our legal guardian."

The gang was stunned at the story.

"How'd you even get those papers?" Alexis asked the question.

"My mother was finishing up payment before she and Dad died. I found them shorty after Jason was comatose and added the name." He smirked. "Smart, huh?"

"Not really," Zane spoke.

"I agree," Bastion nodded.

"A little risky though," Alexis admitted.

Jaden shrugged again. "I was ten and desperate." He reminded.

"Well..." Atticus broke up the tense mood. "The past is the past," he grinned. "So let's make way for our future! Starting with this summer!"

Jaden laughed and nodded, "I like the way you think..."

The sound of sirens caught their ears. They turned to see four police squad cars in front of them. Eight police officers had their weapons drawn as they all stared heatedly towards the gang.

"What the hell!?"

"Jaden Yuki and Jason Yuki! Step forward with your hands in the air!" One officer shouted into a megaphone.

"Huh!?" Alexis shrieked.

"What are they talking about!?" Asami shouted.

"You got the wrong people!" Chazz exclaimed.

The twins simply stared at each other in worry, wondering why they were being called for by the police.

Jaden's eyes widened. 'No... No way...'

Alexis saw his wide eyed look. "Jaden?"

"Step forward now or we will shoot!"

Seeing no point in delaying this, Jaden started walking forward with his hands raised. He was shocked that this was coming up now of all times. It's been over five years.

"Fuck!" Jason growled as he followed his brother's lead, shocking all their friends as he took a spot next to Jaden ahead of their friends with his hands raised.

"What the hell is going on!?" Chazz asked.

"Are they being arrested?" Bastion asked.

"What was your first clue?" Zane sarcastically asked.

"But why?" Syrus threw in.

"No..." Asami gasped.

"Guys..." Alexis whispered.

Jaden and Jason were forced to the ground when the officers moved in, feeling the slap of the handcuffs on their wrists; a burning and helpless feeling coursing through their bodies.

What they said next made them, along with their friends, gasp in shock and horror.

"You two are under arrest for the murder of your parents Jacob and Jaelyn Yuki, Rick Stevens, and nine other civilians!"

End of Chapter 1 of The Domino Eight

How's that for a cliffhanger :)

Things aren't gonna be smooth sailing. All the fluff in this chapter was put in solely because we aren't gonna have any of it throughout the majority of the story.

It all goes downhill from here.

The chapter got to be so packed and cluttered I had to split it to two. The next one will be more intense and suspenseful as the Yuki twins get trialed.

You'll find out who the mysterious figures are soon, although if you read 'Supreme King Jaden', you should be able to guess ;)

Next Time: The Mallet


	2. The Mallet

Disclaimer: Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX

**AN: The response to the first chapter blew my mind! I can't thank you guys enough for all the feedback! All the reviews, favorites, and alerts give me this warm and fuzzy feeling, lol.**

**And to those who don't know, there's links to fanart on my profile page for Jason and now Asami! I give a huge thanks to 'Kagehime-sama53' for drawing the pinkette!**

**Someone asked if there'll be duels in this story given the premise. My answer: It's Yu-Gi-Oh! Of course there'll be duels in this! It just won't be the main focus!**

**And to those probably asking how can Jason get arrested too if he was in a coma? You'll get your answer this chapter.**

**And I did my best with the court scenes. I'm not the biggest expert on law, so I know procedures and stuff are gonna be wrong, but there's also a reason for that story wise and not just my crappy knowledge on law. Just remember to not take any proceeding here at face value. There's more going on than meets the eye.**

**Thanks again for all the feedback and I hope you like this new chapter.**

**Enjoy**

Chapter 2- The Mallet

"Fuck... Me..."

Jaden groaned as he leaned against the bars of the holding cell he and Jason were locked in. After getting handcuffed, they were driven to Domino Courthouse; immediately tossed in the holding cell to wait for the trial to start that would decide whether or not they would go to prison.

And based on the way the cops had spoken to them, they were pretty damn confident that they would lose the hearing.

"How the hell did this happen?" He asked, waiting for Jason to say something. He only got his brother's light breathing in response to the question. "Not even half an hour ago, we were looking forward to a fun filled summer..."

He was really trying to figure out where things had gone wrong between now and when they stepped off the boat. He couldn't see any answer other than the day he had lost his shit when Jason was shot. That was why he and Jason were here right now, after all. They were being held for his massacre.

His massacre that was now known by all their friends and both their girlfriends.

Jesus, what did Alexis think of him now!? What did Asami think of Jason!? He didn't get a chance to hear their reactions before being hauled away. It was eating at him almost as much as the fear of what was gonna happen when they stepped in the courtroom in a few minutes.

Where they're future would be decided.

"Now we're about to be charged with murder." Jaden sighed, staring blankly ahead at the concrete wall just a few short feet away from their holding cell. "Jesus," he had to give a humorless chuckle. "It's all fucked up..."

He still didn't get a response from Jason. It worried Jaden, actually thinking for a split second that Jason had become mute again.

Jaden looked behind him to see Jason sitting on the chair in the cell, his hands folded together and looking down to the floor as his handcuffs dug into his skin. Seeing his brother's slight tan skin forced to turn red made Jaden start to rub at his own wrists. Instead of numbing the pain, he only intensified it as his handcuffs cut his skin even more.

"Jace?" Jaden attempted to get his brother to look at him. Jason's only movement was his shoulders rising and falling as he took slow breaths. Jaden couldn't see his brother's face, but he could tell Jason wasn't happy. Making no gesture forward, Jaden only watched as his brother twiddled with his thumbs; moving them in a circle around the outer edges of his handcuffs.

Wondering why his brother wasn't responding to him, Jaden took a step forward to him. He stopped just above him, his shadow looming over Jason as the boy refused to look up at him.

He opened his mouth to say something, but felt the words die down when he took in account Jason's almost rhythmic movement of twirling his thumbs. It was like his brother was on auto pilot, just moving prematurely on his own until someone turned it off.

Jaden did just that by kneeling down to eye level with his brother, Jason finally looking at him.

Jaden almost gasped at the look on his brother's face.

His eye was welded up with unshed tears, his one brown eye a now burning red as Jason did his best to keep his tears in. His lips were shaking like a leaf in hurricane weather as his body remained tense. A very low sound, almost a faint echo, came out of Jason's mouth.

Jaden didn't know what it was at first, but squinting his face in concentration, he heard the low sobs that were coming out of Jason's mouth.

He was scared.

He was holding back his fear, trying to keep on a brave face and keep strong but was having a difficult time doing so.

Jaden now understood why Jason wasn't moving or saying anything. One movement and he would break down into a mess.

Not speaking, Jaden instead moved his hands up and over Jason's shoulders, pulling him into as best a hug as he could with both handcuffed. Jason couldn't move his hands around Jaden, so he buried his face into his brother's shoulders and started sobbing into his Slifer Jacket.

"I don't wanna go to prison!" He choked out through his crying. "I don't want to go there! They'll kill me!"

Jaden was thinking about that and agreed. If he and Jason both went to jail, given their sizes and the average prisoner, they'll both be dead outside of a week. Well... maybe not Jaden since he could use some of his Gentle Darkness power to do what he had to do.

Jason had no such power. He would get torn apart if he was on his own.

But Jaden wouldn't let that happen. He would kill anyone that did harm to his brother.

But quick thinking made him realize that was why they were both here in the first place.

Somehow and someway, someone had found evidence that implicated Jaden in the murders that went down that day Jason was shot. He had successfully kept himself under the radar all these years, eternally grateful that the security cameras around the crime scene had malfunctioned when his power awakened. He estimated that the sudden surge of energy affected everything around the area, destroying anything and everything around him.

Jason would've been killed too if Yubel hadn't protected him, fending off the dark energies as best she could. Jaden never stopped thinking about that. About how he almost killed his brother too along with everyone else that was there.

His mother... His father... Rick Stevens... and nine other innocent people that meant no harm to him.

But no one knew that. Only him, Jason, Yubel, and Haou. Outside of that, everyone that knew of their deaths only saw him and Jason as the only survivors. He had said back when this all first started that he was rendered unconscious a little after his brother was shot and when he came to a few minutes later, everyone was dead and Jason was dying.

And they believed him for the most part.

But it didn't look that way anymore.

But Jason too? Jaden could understand if it were just him. His time was up. He was caught. He would've not batted an eye or complain like he has the last hour and a half he and Jason were in the police car being driven here and the ten minutes they were in this cell.

Jason hadn't done anything that could implicate him. Unless getting shot was suddenly a crime, he didn't know what was going on with that.

"Asami probably hates me now!" Jason's still choked up voice continued, Jaden realizing he had been lost in thought the whole time. "She probably sees me as some sort of criminal!" He cried. "Our friends... they all probably hate us right now!"

Jaden was thinking that too. It definitely seemed plausible that they would just process what the police had said and take off from there. He wouldn't blame them.

But he wasn't gonna agree with Jason out loud. He needed to remain confident that there was still some hope... at least for him. Jaden felt he was doomed. Jason still had hope since there could be some misleading information that apparently convicted him too.

"You and I both know that you didn't do anything..." he said. "You're innocent in all this..." he reminded.

"So are you," Jason countered, pulling back from Jaden so the two can resume eye contact. "You didn't kill anyone... Haou's power did."

Jaden frowned, "Yeah, like I'm gonna tell the court 'Hey, my past life is really the one who killed everyone! Can I walk free?'" He shook his head. "If they really do have evidence that convicts me, then I'll accept the charges."

"Twelve counts of murder will get you life in prison! Maybe even Death Row!" Jason argued. He softened his expression as the scary thought came to him. "They'll kill you..." he barely got the sentence out, the volume as edible as his sobs from before.

Jaden softened his expression too, "I can't do nothing about it..."

"So you're gonna give up? Give in?" Jason asked almost shockingly.

Jaden frowned. "Of course not. I'll see what they present, but if the evidence is glaring; there won't be much I can do..." he then put on a thinking look. "Although I am confused on what they could have?"

Jason was too. From what he knew of what Jaden had told him about the four years he missed out on due to his coma, there was nothing that can tie Jaden to any of the deaths. No fingerprints; no blood of his on them; no blood of theirs on him; and no video or witnesses of the deed. By all counts, Jaden should be golden.

So what the hell was found?

The sound of the door opening halted their conversation. They both looked to see a court officer and a man in his early forties with a briefcase appear in the holding area.

Jaden immediately turned serious as Jason turned scared.

The man looked to the court officer. "Leave us..." he requested, the officer glancing at the Yukis before abiding to the man's request. Once he left, he turned to the curious twins. He reached into his black jacket pocket to pull out a business card. "My name is Carl Roosevelt. I'm the attorney that was assigned to you two since... well, you obviously can't afford one."

Jaden didn't laugh. Neither did Jason.

Carl put the card away. "Do you two know why you're here?" Even if they did, Jaden saw an opportunity. An opportunity to hopefully give himself, and Jason, some kind of chance.

The opportunity? Play innocent and act like he didn't know what was going on.

Jaden turned his serious look to one of confusion. "No we don't Mr. Roosevelt." He said.

Carl blinked, "You sure? Because one of the officers, Brad Winslow, told me that you two were told why you were taken into custody."

Damn!

Jaden sighed, "I know why, but I'm just confused."

"We both are," Jason added. It wasn't a lie at all. They were both confused on how they ended up here so quick. Not even two hours ago, they were with their friends and girlfriends ready for the summer. Now they were in a holding cell waiting to be charged with murder.

Talk about whiplash.

Carl nodded as he pulled something out of his briefcase, "I gotta say..." he looked at the folder he pulled out. "When they said I had to represent the suspects in the 'Duel Tournament Murders' case, I was expecting some big sociopath or some dead eyed killer."

He looked back to them. "I wasn't expecting two fifteen year old kids..."

Jason looked down, almost like if he kept eye contact with Carl that he would lose his cool and break down again; which he felt when Carl started talking, slamming the reality that he and his brother could be imprisoned back down hard on Jason.

Jaden on the other hand, saw another opening.

He looked ashamed, "I don't know why they would think kids can kill twelve people. We were ten when it happened and much shorter and weaker than we are now..."

Carl didn't say anything, prompting Jaden to stop talking. He didn't want to say too much too fast or that could make him sound desperate. And if he sounded desperate, he could sound and look guilty.

Their attorney looked back to the folder, "I want you two to know that I'm here to help you..." he started, thinking he should appear as a friend to them. "My job is to prove your innocence so anything you can tell me," he took out a pen. "Would be really appreciated."

The twins nodded, finding that to make sense.

Carl gestured to Jason's injury. "Was that related to the incident?"

Jason almost scurried back. He never liked having to discuss his injury with anyone that he wasn't comfortable with. He didn't even like talking about it with Asami and he loved her with all his heart. But if talking about it can set them free, he would swallow all doubt he had and talk.

He nodded, "Yes... I can barely remember because of my injury, but I was shot before the murders took place..."

"Explain..."

He sighed, "Jaden was a finalist in the tournament. He won first place. The two of us and our parents were walking out of the arena, celebrating Jaden's victory..." he actually let a small smile cross his face, remembering one of the last happy memories of his early childhood before one bullet changed everything.

Jaden knew this too and immediately felt guilt, a shameful look crossing his face.

Which didn't go unnoticed by Carl.

"Afterwards, Jaden's opponent, Rick Stevens, came out from the entrance and demanded that Jaden hand the trophy. He felt that Jaden cheated..."

Jaden darkened. If he could kill Rick again, he would.

"He pulled out a gun, a handgun, and pointed it to us..." he grew sad. "Dad told Jaden to give him the trophy since it wasn't worth someone getting hurt."

Jaden lowered his head.

"Then someone tackled Rick and everything's dark after that. I was shot at that point." He concluded.

Carl nodded after taking it all down. Jason strangely felt better. Like if a weight had just been lifted off his shoulders. It was a strange feeling.

Their attorney looked to Jaden. "Is there anything you would like to add to where Jason left off?"

Jaden couldn't tell the truth. He couldn't say that he awakened his hidden power and accidentally massacred everyone aside from Jason due to having no control.

He needed to say something else. Something that could work for him. Remembering his story from years ago, he felt it was smart to stick with that so they couldn't call him out on it.

He took a deep breath. "After Jason was shot, I was frozen. My mom was screaming, my dad was trying to check on Jason, and Rick was being held down. I... guess I fainted from shock since I don't remember anything..."

He almost applauded himself. What really happened was that he screamed; he felt Haou speak to him, chanting 'kill' over and over again; knocked off the civilian holding Rick; held his hand out and used the power of Wild Cyclone's sharp winds to stab Rick in the throat.

After that, he grabbed the gun as more of Wild Cyclone's power ripped through the area and ripped through other people's bodies. He screamed again as loud pops filled his ears. He kept yelling for two minutes before something called him back, finding out later that it was Yubel.

And then he saw the carnage he had created. His parents were dead, Jason was lying on the ground dying, and other bodies littered the area. Realizing what he had done, he frantically wiped off his fingerprints from the gun and let it fall by Rick's corpse. He then grabbed his Mom's cellphone and dialled 911 before cradling Jason's bleeding head, crying hysterically the whole time before paramedics showed up.

Carl finished writing down what they said. He nodded. "So Jason was shot and you were rendered unconscious due to shock before the killings happened?" He asked as he looked to Jaden.

Jaden nodded. "Yes..."

"So who do you think killed your parents and the others if it wasn't you two?"

Jaden and Jason each turned to look at the other, not sure what to say in response to that. Pinning the blame on someone else when there was the very large possibility of convicting evidence against them would only backfire for them in the end. They weren't sure if saying anything was smart right now.

But still, they needed to say something or else risk accidentally losing a chance to save themselves. It was a tight situation to be in right now for them.

Jaden was the one who said something when Jason didn't look at Carl.

"I think Rick did-"

"So who killed him?" Carl asked honestly, cutting off Jaden. The boys were panicking on the inside at this one, not sure what to say. Their attorney watched as Jaden and Jason both looked away, either to the floor or to the wall evasively. He took that down.

After another second, Jaden spoke again. "I don't know. When I came to, he was already dead."

Carl simply nodded.

The door opened up again, the same officer from before stepping in. "Let's go..."

Jaden and Jason looked at each other before to Carl. "For what?"

Their attorney closed the folder and looked back to them. "It's time for the trial to see if you two will be processed as adults."

"And if we are?"

Carl looked to them pointedly. "You two will be shipped off with all the other murderers, rapists, and so forth." The twins gasped.

"But I have a question," Jason spoke. "How can Jaden be charged with the same crime again? Isn't it double jeopardy?"

Carl shook his head, "No. He was never charged with anything, only questioned since he was the only witness left after the massacre. He's fair game..."

He moved so the guard could unlock the cell. "Come on... time to go..."

And the Yuki twins were led out of the cold confined cell and towards the wide courtroom, hoping they didn't have to get used to that trapped feeling.

...

Chazz was so lost on what was going on right now.

An hour and a half ago, Jaden and Jason were hauled away in police cars for the supposed murder of both their parents and ten other people. Just repeating it in his head was giving him a migraine as he tried to process it.

After that, he and everyone else had done a marathon trying to follow the police cars; but eventually realized just how stupid that was. They walked around until they came across a bus station, talking along the way to figure out where Jaden and Jason could be taken.

Asami suggested the police station, so they agreed and rode the bus there with Chazz paying for everyone's ride; still having a generous amount of money on his Debit card from before Slade and Jagger disowned him.

Upon arrival, they were met with no sign of Jaden or Jason. They did however get their location when Asami asked one of the cops there, her dad's partner, if he knew anything. He nodded and told them Domino Courthouse.

And here they were after another bus ride.

He was sitting in a section just outside the actual courtroom itself, the rest of the gang next to him. Syrus and Zane were both trying to get a peek into the courtroom, hopefully to see any sign of Jaden or Jason. Atticus and Bastion were standing in front of the guard by the courtroom door, trying to find out what the hell was going on.

And Alexis and Asami were both sitting next to him, the former with her head down and the latter crying. Feeling bad for them, Chazz wrapped an arm around her, Asami turning to cry on his shoulder. Alexis didn't cry, but she did look depressed when she looked up for a second to see if she could see anything.

Chazz didn't blame them.

He was pretty upset too.

Jaden and Jason, two of the people closest to all three of them, were arrested on some pretty serious and fucked up charges.

It just didn't make any sense. He knew Jaden. He knew Jason. And none of them were killer material. Even though Jaden had done something like this when the Admiral showed up, it was just defense; not murder. He wasn't a bad person because of it.

And Jason especially wasn't like that. Boy was as harmless as a fly outside of a duel! So how the hell was he charged for arguably the worst crime you can commit?

Atticus and Bastion chose to come back at that moment, Syrus and Zane stepping back when they saw them arriving.

"So...?" Chazz asked. Asami stopped crying so she could listen.

Atticus sighed, "Apparently, the guys are getting trialed for supposedly killing their parents and ten civilians at some tournament."

"I'm gonna guess it's the same tournament where Jason was shot," Bastion added. "Based on what Jaden told us about losing both his parents at the same time Jason getting hurt, it's the only explanation."

Chazz nodded. That did make the most sense.

"But..." Syrus' timid and small voice spoke, getting the attention of the group. "It doesn't make sense. Why would they kill anyone? Let alone their parents?" He asked.

Zane sighed, "It has to be a mistake," he said. Whether it was because he was sure of it or in denial that they could've done something like this, only Zane knew. Maybe a little of both.

Chazz agreed before he turned back to the girls, both haven't said a word since arriving in the building.

"Girls?" He started.

Alexis glanced at him before shaking her head. "They didn't do this," she finally said something. "It has to be a mistake. They don't have it in them."

Asami nodded in agreement. "Aside from Jaden, I know Jason better than anybody. He's one of the nicest and sweetest boys ever." She took off her blue cap that she had as she held it by her chest, her white binder of pictures that Jason gave her on her lap; not having let it out of her sight since the boat.

She continued, "He's not capable of terrible things..."

"Jaden isn't either. The Admiral incident aside, the worst thing he's ever done is lose his shit when Kagemaru almost killed Jason." Alexis added, thinking back to the time where her boyfriend knocked one of the Admiral's workers off the duel arena to his death. He was justified as far as she was concerned and didn't hold it against him.

Asami frowned, "Why isn't that asshole arrested for almost killing Jason?" She sneered. "Why are they getting charged for false claims and he gets off scot free for what he did?"

"That's life, Sami," Atticus sighed. "That's life."

"Well it sucks."

Alexis leaned forward to take a look at the door to the courtroom. "Can we go in? To support them?"

Bastion nodded, "The hearing starts in a few minutes. We can go in and wait there until it starts."

Alexis nodded. She wasn't going anywhere. Not without Jaden or Jason. And neither was Asami.

"Then let's go," Chazz motioned as they all walked into the courtroom. The interior was much like that you see on those law and order shows with the wooden tables, the judge bench, jury booth, and at least a dozen rows of seats behind the Prosecution and Defendant tables.

Chazz guessed Jaden and Jason were the defendants in this case.

They each took a seat in a single row that was directly behind the defendant's table. Chazz took a quick glance around to see the only other people here were the stenographer and two men sitting at the back of the final row on the plaintiff's side.

Truth be told, he was actually scared for what could happen to Jaden and Jason. He was, but he knew it was especially worse for the two girls sitting next to him on both sides.

Girls that he had feelings for despite their taken status.

He never intended to do anything with the feelings. He was content with admiring them both from the background, knowing how happy they made Jaden and Jason and how happy the guys made them. A worst person than him would probably be wishing that Jaden and Jason lost so that they can have one or both girls to himself.

Not Chazz.

He was begging any powers that be for the Yukis' freedom. This was the last thing they needed after all the shit they've been through.

And if he was being truly honest, a part of him would do the jail time for them if he could. It was the least he could do to pay the Yukis back after all they've done for him.

He definitely had a lot less to lose than they did, he thought as he looked at the saddened faces of the two beautiful girls next to him.

Asami put her blue cap back on her head as she ran a finger across the front of the binder that was given to her by her boyfriend only three hours ago. Her eyes were downcast as she did this, not giving any mind to the words of comfort that Atticus and Zane were trying to give her.

It was pretty obvious she wanted Jason with her; to have this sick joke, which seemed like the best analogy to describe this whole situation, over with.

Alexis was almost the same way, except instead of looking down she was looking forward. Chazz followed her line of sight to see that she was looking at the Defendant table, the three empty chairs giving a glaring feeling that shook Chazz to his core. He knew Alexis was thinking the same thing.

Two of those seats would be for Jaden and Jason. They would have to sit there and watch and listen as strangers decided whether they kept their freedom or lost it.

Chazz wanted to say something to either girl. He wanted to try and ease some of the agony that they were feeling. But no words came to him, not even sure on what to do himself.

A minute later, a group of twelve people walked out from the side door by the judge bench. The group deduced that it's the jury. That meant that the trial would begin.

Pretty soon the room was filled with other occupants, every seat other than the tables in front of the blocked off section and the judge's chair were filled.

"Am I the only one baffled?" Bastion's voice whispered amongst the group. They all turned to him. "It usually takes a few days before a trial can begin for a case. We haven't even been here two hours..."

Zane was in agreement. "Yeah. But maybe there's an exception if you have pretty compelling evidence. Maybe that's why they were so quick to arrest Jaden and Jason."

"But what's the evidence?" Atticus asked thoughtfully. "And I am still confused on how Jason is connected to this in any way."

"How?" Syrus asked.

"He was shot. He shouldn't have anything against him. Not that I'm saying he or Jay are guilty or capable of something like this, but it still perplexes me."

"Guess we'll find out," Chazz muttered as a man in his early thirties with dark brown hair and eyes walked in and sat at the Prosecution side.

This was the guy that would be fighting to get Jaden and Jason in prison.

They already didn't like him.

The next sound was the creaking of the door to the main hall. Everyone turned around, seeing two guards escort two people in with another, another man with brown hair right behind him.

The gang each held their gasps or shocked faces as they saw it was Jaden and Jason being escorted, handcuffs on as they were dragged in. Jaden looked neutral while Jason looked scared.

'Jaden...' Alexis thought sadly as they passed their row, not daring to make a glance to any of them. They were probably going out of their way to hide their connection, not wanting any of them to get targeted for whatever reason.

'Jason...' Asami stared at the back of her boyfriend's head as he and Jason were seated with the other man, which they now knew was their given attorney.

The next man to step out was a large man in his late fifties with graying hair and round glasses in a black robe, instantly giving away that he was the judge.

"All rise for Judge Ethan King!" The bailiff said in a commanding tone as the entire room stood up and then were ushered back down to their seats.

Judge King looked down to a file that was on his bench. He then looked to Jaden and Jason. "Today we will commence the trial of 'The People of Domino vs. Jaden and Jason Yuki'."

"This is such bullshit," Jaden muttered under his breath. Luckily the only ones that heard him were Carl and Jason.

"New evidence has been made light as of recently, so we're here to see if it holds up."

Jaden zoned out.

Despite the fact he should listen to the opening statements being made from both Carl and the Prosecution, who's name he heard was Sam Yagami, he just couldn't. His mind was a million places elsewhere at the moment.

He could feel the gazes of his friends behind him, but wouldn't turn. It was killing him that he couldn't try and tell them that it was all lie; that he and Jason were innocent and anything that would be said was set up.

Too bad he couldn't... as Jason was the only innocent one here. He was as guilty as a armed robber wearing a ski mask wielding a weapon in a public bank mouthing off that he was gonna rob them.

Only he had actually committed the crime and wasn't just talking bullshit.

"Mr. Yuki!"

The sound of Judge King's voice jerked him from his thoughts.

"What!?" He yelled, patience gone.

"Pay attention! This is your future on the line! And don't raise your voice to me again!"

Jaden mentally glared, but nodded anyway after muttering a quick apology. He didn't care about him. He was doomed if whatever was about to be presented checked out.

Despite that warning, he zoned out again.

Jason looked worriedly over at his brother.

Judge King looked to Sam. "Prosecution?"

Sam faced the jury from his position in front of his table. "Four pieces of evidence were called in roughly a few hours ago that implicates these two," he pointed to the Yukis. "In the murders at Domino Arena roughly five years ago..."

Bastion blinked, "Procedure is wrong..."

"What?" Chazz asked.

Jaden and Jason heard this too.

The Ra Yellow frowned. "Many steps were skipped just now. You need to question the witness before calling in any evidence. He messed up..."

Jaden frowned, 'What's that mean?'

Jason looked to Carl, knowing he heard too and was wondering why he wasn't saying anything.

"Carl?" The attorney looked to him. "You missed a counter argument!"

Their given attorney frowned. "Damn... Sorry..." he apologized before looking back to Sam, missing Jason's shocked look.

Despite being the hired lawyer to the Yuki twins, Carl wanted nothing to do with these two. He wanted them in jail, if only because he saw the devastation that their killings had brought.

He was friends with Rick Stevens parents...

And both of them were in the mental hospital due to flying off the handle after the death of their son.

And he was happy he could help give vengeance.

Would he lose his job for not doing it?

Maybe.

Would it be worth it to see Jaden Yuki and Jason Yuki in prison?

Oh absolutely.

It also helped he was getting paid double his usual salary for his second objective, so it wasn't difficult in the slightest to do; or in this case 'not' do his job.

Sam held up a plastic bag, showing a handgun resting inside of it. "This here is the handgun that was used in half the killings. A 9mm pistol," he then held up a folder. "The same kind that uses bullets like the one that Jason Yuki was hit with, according to doctors and nurses in his medical file."

"So he's good..." Jaden said, missing frowns sent his way. "He was hit by the same gun. He couldn't be involved."

"You should let your attorney speak for you, Mr. Yuki." Judge King countered.

"Yeah, Jaden," Carl nodded, despite not even opening his mouth before.

Sam smirked over at Jaden, "In response to what you said," he then held up another bag, one that had a bloody knife in it. "Jason's fingerprints are on this knife here, which was the second weapon used in the killings."

"What!?" The one eyed Yuki screeched, jumping from his seat as Jaden sat shocked and confused. "That's fake! I never touched a knife that day!"

"Jason, sit down," Chazz's muttering went ignored as the sound of Judge King slamming his gavel silenced Jason.

"Silence, Mr. Yuki!" He barked, Jason breathing unevenly as he sat back down.

He was confused as the answer to the question of what could convict him was given. His fingerprints were on the knife. But a knife wasn't used to kill any of these people or his parents! So what the hell was going on!? And how did his fingerprints get on when he never touched anything!?

"Set up..." Jason whispered before he turned horrified. "Someone's setting us up!" He jumped back up. "Judge King! Someone is-"

"Pipe down!" Judge King slammed the gavel repeatedly.

"But-"

"Sit down!"

Jason fell down defeated, seeing that he wasn't gonna get a chance to make his case. Carl obviously didn't know what the hell he was doing. He and Jaden were screwed.

Asami was fighting all her protective instinct and love for Jason to go over and smoother her love in comforting hugs and kisses. It fumed her more than she thought possible. She also wished she could give protection to Jaden, but he seemed more in control than Jason was.

Even Alexis wanted to give Jason a hug or sisterly kiss as she heard him start to sob, her heart all but shattering at his crying.

The rest of the gang saw what was Jason tried to reveal. They all heard clear as day what Jason had said before, only being two inches away.

Set up?

What did that mean?

Back to Sam, he was looking at Jaden. "And Jaden Yuki's fingerprints are on the handgun that was used in the murders."

"What!?" He exclaimed. "That's a fucking lie!"

"Jaden..." Alexis whispered.

"Sit down!" Judge King once again slammed the gavel.

Jaden growled at him before turning to Carl, who was watching everything and not saying a word. "And what the fuck is it with you!?" Carl looked at him interested. "You're supposed to try and defend us!"

"There's fingerprints on the weapons... your fingerprints." He reminded. "I can't defend you from that..."

"Then tell them what I told you! That I was knocked unconscious after Jason was shot!"

Carl frowned, "What're you talking about?"

Jaden blinked once before he was right back to yelling and losing his mind, which was not helping his case at all by the way the jury was looking at him.

"You wrote down our side of the story!"

"We saw you!" Jason added after hearing where this was going.

Carl pulled out the paper where he wrote down what the Yukis said. "All I got here is Jaden confessing to Jason getting shot after most of the killings happened..." he even held it up for everyone to see and sure enough, that's what was said.

"You son of a bitch!" Jaden made a lunge for his attorney before the sound of the bailiff's feet shuffling and hands encircling around Jaden's arm.

His eyes were golden. "I'll get you... I'll get you for selling us out!"

"Jaden..." Jason's voice brought him back down to earth as his eyes turned back to brown. "Just stop..."

His older brother sighed before jerking himself away from the hold of the bailiff. He sat back down, glaring holes into Carl's head.

Atticus frowned, "I think something is wrong..."

Zane nodded, "Something isn't right here..."

"Your honor..." Sam stood back up after everything died down. "I would like to call up Subject C."

Judge King nodded.

Sam turned back on the video feed. "As you know, according to the video, Jaden and Jason Yuki were both present at the crime scene..."

"I was in the tournament!" Jaden exclaimed, despite the warning he received before not to say anything; his patience wearing thin. This was such bullshit! And since Carl wasn't lifting a finger to help and sold them out, he needed to say something to try and show some shred of innocence.

"Order!" Judge King slammed the gavel. "Do not make another outburst like that again, Mr. Yuki!"

Jaden grumbled, but stayed quiet this time; knowing that yelling would only make him look more guilty. He had no evidence to back up his claims. It was just his word, the word of a supposed murderer, against raw evidence. He wasn't gonna win.

"Anyway..." Sam continued. "They were both present at the time of the killings, they each have their fingerprints on the murder weapons, the questionnaire of Jaden's answers from five years ago reveal that Rick tried to take his trophy, which is a motive; and the video feed you're about to see clearly shows them each shooting or stabbing one or more civilians..."

He then held up a folder. "And these hospital records show that Jason was checked in for a bullet wound, the same kind of bullet from the murder weapon, several minutes after the killings took place..."

'This is not happening...' Jaden was sweating and starting to have a hard time breathing. 'I called 911 after everything happened!' He remembered. 'I gave them reasonable evidence!'

Jason was wide eyed too, 'Please tell me this is some sick fuckin' joke! Please!' He mentally begged, on the verge of crying.

"Jaden used the handgun to shoot and kill Harry Teller, Ramon Salazar, Billy Madison, and his parents Jacob and Jaelyn Yuki."

Jaden winced. He had stabbed Rick and then clutched the weapon in his hand out of anger. He fired wildly into the air with it as his power raged out of control and he screamed in agony at the awakening, not in control of anything he did at the time. He fucked up and accidentally hit his parents, along with those poor people...

Maybe he did deserve to go to prison. None of this was false. He did kill these people.

But Jason had nothing to do with this, he thought. He was dying when he went on the massacre. How the hell was there evidence against him!?

And didn't he wipe off his fingerprints!? That was why they couldn't tie him the first time! How did they get back on!?

Sam then held the evidence bag that had the bloody knife in it. "And Jason's fingerprints are on this weapon that was used in the stabbings of Allen and Donna Mitchell, Chuck Joseph, Peter White, Tara Henderson, and Lilly Burrows."

"I didn't touch anything!" Jason yelled again as he jumped up, losing his cool as fear and denial took him over. "I was shot at that point!"

"Silence!" Judge King slammed the gavel again. Jason sat down with a whimper, tears now flowing down his face.

Asami desperately wanted to go up to Jason and wrap her arms around him to shield him from all this. Despite everything staring at her in the face, she could feel from the bottom of her heart that Jason and Jaden both were innocent.

Jason wasn't a killer. The farthest thing from it.

Jaden was a little harder to accept since she had witnessed him kill someone. One of the Admiral's men, but she let it slide since he was trying to kidnap him. He was justified in self-defense.

They weren't killers, she told herself.

Alexis too was feeling the same way. Even though she watched Jaden take a life, he was in the right for it. He defended himself. But this? There was no way he would do any of this. Haou? She wouldn't put it past him.

Her eyes widened. 'Wait a second...'

The tournament where Jason got shot is where they supposedly killed these people, but it is also the same tournament where Jaden admitted awakening Haou's presence within him.

'Oh shit!' She just got an idea on what may have happened.

Sam then played the tape, showing Jaden and Jason both either shooting or stabbing someone, parents included. Jason whimpered seeing their parents again while Jaden was horrifyingly confused.

Jaden's eyes widened as he remembered something as the tape continued. "Rick Stevens was still alive at the end and as you can see," the tape showed him reaching over to the gun that was discarded by Jaden after most of the bullets ran out. "He tried to take his killers down with him..."

Jaden watched as the tape played and showed Jason getting shot with the supposed final bullet. He was wide eyed because that happened first. Rick was the first one dead when he went crazy, not the last! The tape showed his younger self run over to Rick and jab something into his head. It was hard to see the knife, but Jaden saw it clearly.

Wait! A knife!? He killed Rick with the power of Wild Cyclone! He stabbed him with sharp razor blade winds!

Something was wrong here!

Sam turned off the video. "You two committed murder to keep Jaden's trophy and when you saw there were witnesses, you two killed everyone to hide your involvement, even offing your own parents!"

He looked to the shocked Yukis. "Was it wrong for Rick Stevens to try and take your trophy? Yes. Did it have to end in not only his murder, but the murder of eleven other people? Definitely not!"

Sam looked to Judge King, "There's no doubt in my mind these two should be in prison, your honor."

Jaden and Jason both stared wide eyed. Not even their attorney was making a move to try and defend them. He must've thought they were guilty as well and didn't see a point to try and defend them when the evidence was clearly there.

It was pretty much screaming in their faces that they were guilty from an outside viewpoint.

But they both knew something was wrong.

Seeing Sam was done, Judge King turned to Carl. "Defendant? Anything to add?"

"I'm good..."

He nodded. "We'll take a pause as the jury makes a final verdict..." Judge King slammed the gavel as the jury stood up and walked out of the courtroom, leaving Jaden and Jason to their most likely final minutes of freedom.

As they sat there, waiting for their fate to be handed to them, Jaden found himself looking over the courtroom. He found himself, along with Jason, as the target to a series of many glares. He didn't flinch though. That evidence was pretty damn convincing, for both him and Jason.

But it was fake.

It was all fake.

Jason never hurt anybody and he hadn't killed anyone the way the tape showed.

Not that he would say that. He didn't want to go to prison, no matter how much he thought he deserved to.

He then found himself looking to Alexis. They both shared a look with each other, Jaden's eyes begging and hers worried. He really hoped that she was having doubts about him actually killing someone.

Even if she's seen him do it once before.

He caught the gazes going on between Jason and Asami. They each wanted to hold the other close to them, not wanting to be separated by the impending revelation of their fate any longer. But alas, that choice was not theirs to make.

He then took a glance to Zane and the others. Sharing a look that matched up to one of suspicion and slight disbelief with the eldest Truesdale, Jaden figured out what he, along with the others, were thinking.

They knew something was wrong.

That 'evidence' was fake to those who knew both Jaden and Jason. The eldest Yuki wasn't a vicious person unless threatened or Haou was involved and the younger Yuki was too harmless to hurt anyone. Even if they the truth that Jason was shot first at the tournament, Jaden believed that they didn't think he would kill all those people. If just Rick, maybe, but not when his parents were also victims.

But he could've sworn Alexis was looking at him differently than the others, and not in the loving way that she did that no one else could do. It was like she was studying him, trying to figure something out that only she knew for the moment.

Jaden looked to their shitty attorney, feeling a rage within him that begged to be unleashed on the man that was purposely messing up. Bastion's earlier comment on procedures being either rushed or wrong replayed within his head. He knew, and so did the ever quiet and observant Haou, that Carl was in on whatever was going on here.

And by the way they kept shutting down his and Jason's attempts to try and protect themselves, it was something big.

If he could, he would make Carl talk to him. He would show him the monster they were going out of their way to show to the world.

Haou would be willing to comply.

The next minute, the jury returned; all breaths stopping or accelerating in anticipation and fear for what was about to come.

Judge King looked to the jury. "Have you reached a verdict?"

The foreman nodded as he handed a folded up piece of paper to the bailiff. The bailiff handed it to Judge King, who opened it up and read it; nodding and setting it down.

He turned to the Yukis. "Due to the severity of the crime, you two will be processed as adults and shipped off to a Level 1 Adult Facility."

Jaden and Jason's eyes widened as high as they can go after hearing that.

Asami gasped, "That's with all the murderers and psychos!"

"Your sentences are as follows," he looked to Jaden. "Jaden Yuki; you will serve life without parole for half a dozen counts of First Degree Murder and as an accessory to another half dozen counts of murder!" He turned to Jason next, "Jason Yuki; you will serve the same sentence as your brother!"

Jaden and Jason were both still in shock, as was their friends.

"You two will be shipped off to East Domino State Penitentiary right away! Sentences to be carried out immediately!" Judge King slammed on the gavel again, the loud bang echoing within the courtroom as the Yuki twins' fate was sealed; the only sound louder than the echo being the screams of Asami and Alexis and the rapid breathing of Jaden and Jason both.

The twins calmed down to look to their attorney, who only gave a feign look of regret. "Oh well..."

Jaden growled at him, "I'll get you back..."

Carl shook off the look. "Go luck in prison... Don't get raped..."

Two officers walked over before Jaden or Jason could say something. They each grabbed a twin by the arm. "Let's go..."

They started to lead them before Jaden suddenly looked over to the row holding his friends.

"Wait..."

Alexis looked in confusion when Jaden halted his steps, stopping just next to the row where she and the others were sitting.

Jaden only stared for a second before he turned his head, looking down to his deck box. "My cards..."

Alexis noticed his almost pleading tone, wondering what Jaden was about to say. She was shocked with what came out next.

"Take them..."

"W-What?" She stuttered, not sure if she had heard right.

"Take my cards." He repeated, knowing that they didn't have much time before they were shoved out to the armored vehicle that was no doubt waiting for him and Jason to take them to prison.

"But their yours..."

"I won't need them where I'm going." Alexis opened her mouth to say something else, but Jaden's shake of the head silenced her. "Lex... just do this... please." He begged.

She stared at him sadly, knowing how much his cards meant to him before she obliged. She opened his deck box, reaching inside and taking the large bundle; holding them to her chest.

He nodded, a ghost of a smile on his otherwise defeated face. "Thank you..."

Alexis didn't say anything or moved. She only let a few tears fall. She wanted to say something, but she was sure she'll break down.

This was goodbye for her and Jaden, as well as for Asami and Jason, and she was trying to process it.

"Love you..."

She felt her lips shake before she managed to say, "I love you too."

Atticus stared sadly at his sister, only being able to guess how she was feeling right now. He didn't think Jaden or Jason could've done what was presented to them just now. They were far from that kind of person. They saved the world for Gods sake!

He saw Chazz looking over to the row all the way in the back for a second, his eyes confused and his lips in a small frown before looking back.

Seeing what his brother was doing, Jason looked to Asami. She saw what he was about to ask and slowly nodded her head. She reached behind her boyfriend, opened up his blue deck box, and took his cards.

He sadly said, "Happy birthday..."

She nodded, tears staining and falling from her emerald green eyes. She didn't trust her voice to speak for her... and she wanted to tell Jason she loved him one more time.

Hearing what he said next broke her, "I love you so much, Asami... Thank you for everything you've done for me."

She cried. If Chazz didn't see what was coming and grabbed her free hand, she would've jumped Jason. "I love you too!" She choked out. "And I always will!"

Jaden looked to his other friends before slowly nodding. "It's been a blast, everyone... And I'm sorry that this is your final memory of us..."

Jason nodded as they saw that they were all looking at them sadly. Jason was dying on the inside right now. This was goodbye to his friends. He didn't want that. He didn't want any of this. He wished he would wake up from this nightmare because that's what this had to be.

This was a bad dream. He fell asleep on Asami's bed in her cabin. He would wake up to her loving beautiful face and everything would be sunshine and rainbows.

Two seconds later and he realized he was just being stupid. This was reality, as fucked up and unfair as it was.

Jaden shook his head, "Remember, don't try and get involved..." they all gasped. "Someone clearly wants us inside and trying to fight it will only hurt you..."

They all saw his thinking and nodded their heads. This was their fate and burden to bear and they would respect it... for old times sake.

No matter how much they despised it.

Jason looked to Asami before to Chazz, "You watch her for me, please?" His chosen sibling nodded his head.

"Do the same for me?" Jaden added. Again, Chazz nodded.

"I'll look after them, I promise..."

The twins nodded gratefully.

"Move it!" The officer shoved, Jaden and Jason stumbling a little before they continued walking. They felt the burning gazes of all people that they passed by, calling them names like 'Murderers', 'Monsters', and 'Criminals' while they were led through them.

As they reached the back, Jaden was the one who caught the gaze. As Jason was rushed in front of him, Jaden saw the dark goatee of a man sitting in the back rows.

Before he could begin to ask himself, he briefly caught the smirk filled gaze of Slade Princeton.

And everything came crashing down.

'You motherfucker!' He barely held his anger, as he was pushed out the courtroom and into the sunny afternoon. Slade, and most likely Jagger as well, were here too!? That smirk was what threw him for a loop. He could write it off as the Princetons hearing of the arrest and coming to watch. He could. It seemed plausible.

But he knew he was high on their list of people they despised. His yelling and mocking them at the school duel and Chazz's duel against Slade pretty much cemented that. He also knew that they were high up in politics and finances after Chazz explained why he was pressured so much. Those two areas alone can give you powerful connections.

Connections like lawyers, police stations, and the justice system.

'Damn it...' he groaned as he and Jason were placed into an armoured van, shackled to the floor as they were drove away.

Away to a life of complete solitude and isolation.

To their new 'home' East Domino State Penitentiary.

...

The ride to the prison wasn't the most eventful, mostly quiet due to the cops telling them to shut up. Jason didn't look to be in the mood to talk anyway, mostly trying not to lose it and break down into the tears Jaden knew were welded up behind his eye. He himself didn't want to talk anyway.

The prison itself was huge, Jaden observed as he and Jason stepped out of the van and into the concrete ground within the prison walls. At least three storeys tall, light grey painted, and with two more two storey buildings connected at the side. Jaden guessed those were the cellblocks, if only because they couldn't possibly be anything else.

Two watch towers were situated by the building, both just on the outer rims of the gates, watching over the entire structure of the prison. There was a fenced off yard that was approximately 50 feet long and 48 feet width, which was currently empty. There were also a bunch of other small buildings, painted either dark red or light yellow and looking way worse for wear. He couldn't guess what they were as of yet. But since he had a lifetime waiting to be spent here, he supposed he'll figure it out

"Move it!" One officer shoved him forward, Jaden seeing that Jason was already being led through to the building. Not wanting to be separated from his brother in a place like this, he almost ran to catch up to him.

Once they were led inside to a room that almost resembled a high school gym locker room, they saw that they were the only ones there. Another officer, one that worked here as evident by the tag on the side of his blue uniform, nodded to the other cops as they turned and left.

This officer peered down at them as he unlocked their handcuffs, both Yukis immediately rubbing at the damaged skin.

"So these are the new inmates?" He sounded more intrigued than confused. His name-tag read 'Johnson'. He smirked, "We'll just have to get you settled in..."

Jaden frowned while Jason almost shook.

"We'll take your mugshots, give you some new threads, and you'll be able to meet your new friends..." Johnson looked like he wanted to chuckle... and he did. "A few will take very kindly to you two..."

He's known him for a grand total of thirty seconds, but Jaden already hated him, along with this place.

...

"Say hello to your new home..." Johnson gave a toothy smirk as Jaden stepped inside one of the many cells, now sprouting a white thermal shirt, a light blue button up one to accompany it, dark blue pants, and some shitty sneakers.

He and Jason were separated from each other when they stepped into the cellblock after taking mugshots. The new scenery wasn't anything worth bragging about. Just four rows of twenty-five cells each on the ground floor and the other half resting on the second floor, accessible by one of two yellow handled staircases.

He was currently in Cell 40, according to Johnson, while Jason would be in Cell 30. The number system as all weird since he was on the second floor right now. He didn't know where Jason was, which was giving him a mini heart attack.

Johnson chuckled ominously as the cell door slid closed behind him, trapping Jaden with whoever else was in here.

The sounds of the inmates behind him was making Jaden feel uneasy. Whether they were complaining about the heat or just making noise to piss off the guards, Jaden felt his knees weaken just a tiny bit. He wouldn't buckle down though. If he did, then he was gonna be considered easy pickings in more ways than one.

No way in hell that was happening to him or Jason, he swore.

He would kill whoever tried.

On the top bunk, a Hispanic man who appeared to be in his late twenties jumped down from the bunk. He had caramel colored skin and a bald head with curious light brown eyes. He wore the white thermal shirt and the open light blue one that all inmates seemed to have and dark blue pants.

He looked Jaden up and down confusingly. "You're my new cellie?" He asked. Jaden only nodded. He widened his eyes before shaking off the shock. "I didn't expect a kid..." he confessed as he jumped back to the top bunk.

Guess that meant the bottom was his, he deduced.

He hoped that didn't mean anything else.

"Name's Carlos..." he spoke again, flipping through a sports magazine. "Carlos Rodriguez."

"Jaden. Jaden Yuki."

He glanced back to him. "What're you in for?"

"Murder," Jaden answered, knowing it would send a message that he was not to be fucked with... at least he hoped it did, "Life without parole..."

"Damn," Carlos chuckled. "Aggravated robbery for me. Serving five years and eligible for parole in sixteen more months..."

Jaden only nodded, turning back and facing the bars that held him in. He scratched at his itchy collar due to the blue shirt and glanced around the cellblock, trying to see or hear Jason amongst all the yelling.

He couldn't find a sign of his brother anywhere. That terrified him more than being trapped with a stranger in some cramped up space with no protection.

Well... he wouldn't say 'no' protection.

"I'm gonna be honest," Carlos' voice entered his ears. "I told myself that I wouldn't say anything to my new cellmate..." Jaden listened, knowing that if he was telling him this; he was gonna say why he changed his mind.

He's had many conversations like this with Jason, knowing how they were initiated. He did or said something that changed Carlos' mind and was kinda curious as to what.

He heard Carlos sigh as he kept darting his eyes around. "But you're a kid... and I don't wanna see a kid get roughed up in here. It happened once before and ended horribly..."

Jaden didn't comment.

"So I'm gonna give you a few heads up when yard time comes. You need to see certain people before I start to talk," he warned. He then noticed Jaden's head moving around side to side. "What're you looking for?"

"My brother..." he answered simply.

Carlos frowned, "You got a brother in here too?"

"Twin... He came in with me... and he only has one eye..."

Carlos winced. "Sorry to hear..." he said. "You won't be able to see him..."

Jaden frowned, although Carlos couldn't see it. "Why not?"

"Because he's most likely in the row of cells below us..." Jaden turned to him, wondering how he knew that. "An inmate named Tweener is the only other inmate that has an empty cell." Carlos pointed down. "He's below us..."

"Tweener?" Jaden wondered at the name.

Carlos chuckled. "Funny story actually." He said. "I'll tell you at yard time..."

"What kind of inmate is he?" Jaden asked, worried for Jason. Just trying to imagine his younger brother with some sick twisted fuck was giving him goosebumps up and down his body. He would actually throw up if it were true.

Before Carlos could answer, a scream rippled throughout the cellblock.

"Ahhhh!"

Jaden's eyes widened as he turned back around, looking down and seeing that a black inmate had just been shanked by a white inmate as they were being moved out from their cells. To where, Jaden didn't know.

At the roar of the blacks and cheers of the whites, Jaden felt his mind try to process everything that transpired in the last few hours.

How could this have happened, he wondered.

A couple hours ago he and Jason were both with their friends and girlfriends, ready for an entire summer full of fun, adventure, and love.

And now they were with criminals and their fun summer was replaced with a lifetime full of fear, anxiety, and terror.

And all because they were set up by Slade and Jagger!

Well... Jason was... Jaden was technically caught, but since he wiped away any convicting evidence, he was theoretically set up as well by the two scumbags.

As he stared down at the bleeding inmate with his eyes as wide as the distance between him and Jason, Carlos only had this to say in response to the stabbing:

"Welcome to prison, Fish."

End of Chapter 2 of The Domino Eight

The twins have been arrested and are now in prison.

I wanted to end this chapter where I did, so I had to cut out the prison bus scene to avoid making this too long. I'll maybe post it as a oneshot somewhere down the line.

Not much of Jason in this chapter, but the next one is mostly focused on him and how he feels as well as the gang's full thoughts now that the Yukis are locked up. Since Jaden is the main cause of all this, I figured to try and keep it in his point of view as much as possible for this chapter.

I hope you guys didn't despise the court scenes too much. All that needed to be said was said in those scenes though. Jaden and Jason were framed; Slade and Jagger were there and obviously set them up, which is actually in part why the court proceedings were so one sided and unrealistic; and what the evidence was that convicted them. It gets better from here on out, I promise :)

The prison is where the major drama happens! Also with the rest of the gang because we obviously have to check in on them as well on how they feel about the guys' incarceration and how they go on with that.

Jason will meet his cellmate next time. A few of my favorite OCs that I ever created appear next chapter, although I love Carlos Rodriguez as well!

And from here on out, you guys will get small synopsis teasers on the next chapters. Just something I decided to do :)

I'm not the biggest fan of this chapter, but I hope you guys enjoyed.

Favorite, Alert, and Review if you enjoyed, wanna tell me something, or wanna alert me to a mistake. I love hearing from you guys!

Next Time: New Faces

Preview: "Jaden and Jason adjust to their surroundings as they go through their first day in prison. Jason has a run in with the prison white supremacist leader, Banger."


	3. New Faces

Disclaimer: Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX. I own Jason Yuki, Asami Elric, and any other OCs you might see**.**

**AN: To all those who dropped a dime last time, I wanna say thank you from the bottom of my heart. I'm looking for constructive criticism for this story because I wanna make this story one of my best. Any kind of feedback would be greatly appreciated, but please no flames.**

**We were originally gonna see the rest of the gang in this chapter too, but I needed to move some things around since too much stuff would be going on in this chapter. They'll definitely be in two or three chapters from now since I had to split this up into parts.**

**We meet some very big players for the story here. There's also someone here connected to a canon character I'm sure you'll be shocked to see. You'll definitely know once you see the last name.**

**And lastly, please don't pester me for updates. I'm late with this chapter because I have been A) Lazy, B) Family came over, and C) I was sick. I also do other things outside of fanfiction and hate seeing the same people constantly pestering me for updates. If I don't update in two weeks, it doesn't mean I left the website, so to the same guest reviewer that's going under different names and spamming me, "Chill the fuck out."**

**Enjoy the late chapter**.

Chapter 3- New Faces

Jason felt like he couldn't breathe.

As the sounds of the inmates died down after the shanked inmate had been taken away, he could feel his lungs struggle to regain the air that they needed to stay working.

Ever since he and Jaden had been hauled away in the armoured van to this hellhole, he couldn't seem to take easy and stable breaths. He had a hard time keeping calm when he took his mugshot, doing his best to give a frightening face to the camera. He even took off his bandages, but he then felt like they made him look more pathetic.

Then he recalled how shaky his handwriting was when he and Jaden had to fill out a form sheet that asked for any medical problems, list of relatives, and any other little things that would be worthy noting. Due to his eye injury, he was told by Carter Johnson, the correctional officer that led him and Jaden everywhere, that he would be spending regular time in the infirmary.

Just remembering the smug and hardass look on the slightly big man's face made Jason want to cower. He already knew that he needed to avoid that guy like the plague.

The fear he felt right now was unlike anything he's ever felt his whole life. His palms were sweating, his hands were shaking, he was sure he had fear written all over his face, and he was breathing like a woman in labor.

The sounds of the inmates behind him from behind the closed cell door was implanting even more fear into his heart. They were yelling incoherent things or just screaming like if they were getting assaulted.

Jason was willing to bet a few actually were.

He felt like the new kid in school. No one knew him, no one liked him, and he didn't know what to say or do to try and make things go smoothly for him. He was even too scared to look directly at his cellmate, the other occupant having his back to him as he laid on the bottom bunk of the uncomfortable looking bunk beds.

Jason hoped he stayed like that.

This whole day was just one big fucking fright fest. The only positive thing that happened to him today was that he got to touch Asami's breast. Other than that, this day sucked for him.

He wanted to cry at the thought of his girlfriend. He missed her so much and wanted to be with her. He wanted to hold her slightly shorter body against him, wanted to give her the most loving kiss he could give, and wanted to never let go of her ever again. He almost wished she was here with him to help get through this, but immediately retracted that thought when he realized what these inmates would do to her.

He shook his head. He was thinking stupid now. And it was only making him feel a whole lot worse.

He turned away when he could hear the groans of his cellmate enter what was left of his head. He didn't know what kind of groans they were, but thought he could lessen his fear by not looking.

He went back to thinking about this whole incident. Other than the obvious, which it sucked, he wondered why someone would set him up for this crime. He didn't have any enemies as far as he knew. He didn't know anyone who would do this to him and if he did do something to anger someone, he was sorry from the bottom of his heart.

If not him, then was it because of Jaden? Jaden did have a really bad tendency to shoot his mouth off at the wrong time and occasionally to the wrong people. As far fetched as this sounded, he guessed someone that hated Jaden was the cause for this and decided to take him down with his twin.

That had to be it or else he would've been left out of the fake video feed.

Jason would never tell him this because he didn't want to hurt his feelings, but a part of him was mad at Jaden for all this now. Maybe, just maybe, if Jaden had controlled himself at the tournament, then none of this would be happening right now. They would be free, they would still have their parents, and they could be with Alexis and Asami.

He could already feel Yubel's disapproval and the spirit wasn't anywhere near him. He couldn't help it. He wanted someone to blame for taking what was left of his life away from him. He wanted to hurt someone for it, but didn't know who to lash out at. And he would never lash out at Jaden. Not when his brother was his only friend in this place.

Not to also mention that Jaden was the only one who could protect him now in these walls. Jason couldn't take anyone in a fight. He was horrible at it. With him being in prison where fighting took place almost daily, that was very obviously bad.

Just when he thought he had finally become his own person, he was right back to playing shadow to big brother Jaden.

A Japanese inmate in the cell directly across from him glared in his direction. "What you looking at, Fish?" He challenged, Jason realizing that he was staring at him the whole time he was in his thinking state. "Ain't nothing for you up in here!"

Jason quickly turned away, but in doing so locked eyes with his now standing cellmate. Much to his shock, he wasn't much older than he was. He looked nineteen. He had messy dark brown hair that bordered on black that was spiked in the front, although that could be because of bed hair. His light brown eyes were peering into Jason, almost like if he was trying to see something that wasn't there. Like him, he wore the typical prison uniform that he and Jaden were given, only he wasn't wearing the light blue shirt.

Much to Jason's surprise, he started laughing in... relief? "Oh thank God!" He said, breathing out happily as he sat on the bottom bunk. "I thought I was gonna get stuck with some big disgusting rapist..."

So did he, Jason thought.

"When they told me I was getting a new cellmate, I was shitting myself thinking it was either gonna be someone here who's a sick fuck, or someone new who was gonna be a sick fuck too."

He stood back up, "But here I get someone who's younger than I am!" He actually hugged Jason, which made the one eyed boy tense and hold his arms up. "Thank you, God!" This guy was weird, Jason concluded. Well... it could be worst, he figured. He could've gotten stuck with that sick fuck both of them worried about.

He just hoped Jaden wasn't stuck with someone like that.

His cellmate blushed when he realized what he did, "Sorry..." he apologized. "You have no idea how much I've been shitting and driving myself crazy these past few hours..." he coughed uncomfortably. "Plus, I can get a little emotional and touchy when I'm happy."

Jason's face turned worried, thinking what that touchy gesture can possibly be. This guy didn't look like the rapist type from what he could see. Not that Jason's people observation skills were anything to brag about. He was even skeptical of Asami when they first met... and he turned out to be completely wrong that someone like her could never love someone like him.

His cellmate held his hand out. "The name's Shane. Shane Nelson, although the boys up in here call me Tweener."

Jason looked at the outstretched hand before he finally decided to speak to the other boy. He clasped his hand with his own. "Jason Yuki." He introduced before their handshake stopped. "Judging by your name, I guess you weren't born around here..."

Tweener laughed, "Good observation," he nodded. "I was born in New York, but me and my folks moved here when I was thirteen. My dad got a job broadcasting Duel Monster duels in the city, so we made camp here." He explained.

Jason blinked in surprise. "Duel Monsters?"

"Yeah. It's a popular card game that seems to have integrated itself into pop culture." Tweener laughed. "Kinda funny, huh?"

Jason almost smiled. "I love Duel Monsters," he said. "I go to Duel Academy..." or at least he did. Now that he was in prison, he was sure his enrollment at the academy was gone.

Tweener's eyes widened, "I always wanted to go there, but my mom wouldn't let me." He angered slightly. "Said something like I was gonna be either a doctor or a lawyer or some big suit shit like that." He spat.

"You don't like your mother much." Jason said.

Tweener shook his head, "And now she won't even answer my calls." He turned thoughtful. "Well... she did once, but only to tell me I was no longer a son of hers after my incarceration."

Jason felt kinda bad for him. That must've been rough to know your mom didn't want to deal with you just because of one thing you did. Although he didn't know what Tweener was in for, so his mother could've been in the right as far as he knew.

He wondered himself. If his parents were alive and he and Jaden were convicted on just the other ten murders, would they still love him? Would they still call him and Jaden their sons despite all this? He loved to think so, though he had his doubts.

He thought about his mother and father all the time. He thought about if they would be proud of him getting in Duel Academy; he thought about if they would be overjoyed that he had found his voice; and he mostly wondered if they would've approved of Asami as his girlfriend. He prayed they did since he would never want her out of his life otherwise... although someone had done just that to him and his loving girlfriend.

Even with the drawing Chumley made him, he had a hard time remembering who they were as people. It was in his room at the Slifer Dorm. He left everything there other than his deck, which Asami now had, and the Slifer uniform he had on earlier today, which the officers confiscated and put in some storeroom. He didn't quite see the point bringing everything back when he would only be back for two months. He was kinda glad he didn't now. At least no more of his things would be stuck here with his uniform.

All he knew from Jaden was that he was a big mamas boy regarding his mother. He wanted to be annoyed with Jaden when he said that, but he instead treasured it. That meant he and his mother were close... which made the reality she was dead all the more painful for him.

His long thought process seemed to alert Tweener. "Hey, Jason," he called, snapping Jason out of his trance. "You alright?"

No. He wasn't. That wasn't any of Tweener's business however. He didn't need to know everything about him. He was surprised that he told his cellmate anything at all, perfectly content with pretending to be mute again. But strangely he talked anyway.

He nodded anyway, "Yeah... just thinking..." Tweener nodded back, seeming to respect his privacy. Jason appreciated that. If Tweener kept acting like this, then they'll get along just fine. He wasn't even asking about his injury and he looked like he really wanted to. For a criminal, he was surprisingly respectful.

After a couple seconds of silence, Jason broke it. "Why do they call you Tweener?" He asked, the question having been on the tip of his tongue since he heard the nickname come out his mouth.

Tweener frowned just a little bit, "My first year here, I tried to get in good graces with the blacks and join up with them, despite me being white. Afterwards when the blacks rejected me, the whites didn't want anything to do with me and neither did the Hispanics or the Japanese..."

"This guy named Andrew Jackson, otherwise known as Sawbuck, called me 'Tweener' since I was caught in the middle of all ethnics and it just stuck." He explained.

Jason almost laughed, as evident by the small smile that came on his face. It was the first gesture of positivity he made ever since he stepped off the boat this morning. That was, in a weird and messed up way, kinda funny.

Tweener saw the smile, which made him frown more. "It's not funny!" He remarked. His overreaction made Jason smile more. "It was hard getting into peoples graces after that whole incident! I had to almost kiss ass just so my life would be easier here since I still got four years left!"

Jason's smile dropped, not wanting to imagine being alone in a place like this. If Jaden weren't here with him, he would most likely kill himself. He was gonna die anyway, so the thought didn't bother him too much.

"Sorry," he figured he owed Tweener an apology for finding amusement in his predicament. "I just had a rough day and needed the smile..."

Tweener seemed to understand and nodded, "The first few days are hard, but you'll get used to it pretty quick." He promised.

Jason nodded, although he didn't want to get used to any of this. He's only been here for a little over twenty minutes, but it was the longest twenty minutes of his life. And he had a feeling this was gonna be the longest upcoming years of his life until he dropped dead.

He definitely never expected prison to be where he died.

"I like you," Tweener smiled. Jason was a taken back. He wasn't sure if he had done anything that was worth Tweener liking him. He wasn't even interesting. Well, he shrugged, if he liked him, at least he didn't have to worry about having a terrible cellmate.

Now that he thought about it, he may have won the cellmate lottery with Tweener. He definitely seemed like a cool guy. A little weird maybe at the beginning there, but seemed like he had good intentions. Jason wouldn't lower his guard yet however. Tweener can be playing him for all he knew.

But if this was how he really was and he wasn't playing him... then Jason found himself liking Tweener too.

"You seem cool, which'll make our boring days in here all the more bearable." He said. "I've been here a year and not much excitement happens unless someone starts something and even that mostly ends in someone getting killed..." he grew a little sad. "And the last one was a friend of mine..."

Jason felt sorry for him after hearing that. To have a friend get killed wasn't something that Jason ever wanted to go through. He would much rather die himself.

"I'll help you out," Tweener continued. Jason looked shocked at that. "This place can tear you apart if you aren't careful. What with all the murderers, rapists, thieves, and drug dealers in here, it isn't exactly easy to know how to survive..."

He shuddered. "Especially since there's this guy who's only been here for a month named Brian Phillips and he's already established a white supremacist gang."

"A white supremacist gang?" Jason asked.

"He's an American like me who apparently fled here to avoid getting caught by the police a few years back..." Tweener closed his eyes in thought. "But he rekindled his old ways and was eventually caught last month... and he wasted no time gathering up anyone for his cause and starting a gang."

"What'd he do to get caught?"

Tweener seemed to not wanna tell him. By the look in his eyes as he tried to avert his gaze from Jason, it was like he was internally trying to avoid the answer to the question. Finally, after much sighing, he got it out.

"He raped and killed six kids..."

"Jesus..." Jason whispered in shock and disgust. That was horrible! How can someone do that!? How can someone even get aroused by someone that young!? For him, Asami was the only one who can turn him on and she was his own age! He couldn't fathom how someone can find pleasure in that!

"And it wasn't always in that order neither." Tweener added to his uneasy feelings, the acids in Jason's stomach threatening to shoot up his throat and out his mouth at the revelation. "Jason, I tell you this as your guide... do not, and I can't stress this enough, do not get near this guy."

"He goes by Banger in here due to... his methods..." Tweener said uneasily. "He likes the young ones, so I'm warning you that you may show up on his radar."

'And Jaden!' Jason thought. He needed to warn him somehow. He really needed to because he couldn't, and didn't want to, imagine Jaden getting in contact with this guy if he could prevent it.

"I'll point him out at yard time. He's probably the sickest one here, so you need to know his face to avoid him. And now he's provoked a race war..." at Jason's confused face, he elaborated. "Whites and blacks don't naturally get along with each other in prison. With that in mind, he continued to make jabs at the blacks and now we're gonna see a brawl happen soon..."

"How soon?" Jason asked, fearful of what can come from that. Just the idea of seeing blood get spilled for no reason other than one man's hounding wasn't something Jason wanted to see. And if it was gonna happen, he wanted to know how long he had to find a way to hide when the time came.

"Tomorrow night..." Tweener's answer stopped the blood flow to Jason's face, making it appear pale as a corpse.

"W-what?" He stammered in shock.

"Yeah, tomorrow night..." Tweener strolled over to the small metal desk by the small sink, tapping it's surface twice. "I have protection under here in case anyone comes. We're good..."

Jason had to ask the question that he felt on his lips.

"Why would you protect me?" He asked in genuine confusion. Jason knew that getting involved in a prison brawl would very likely lead to serious injury or even death. He wouldn't risk his neck out for anyone in here other than Jaden, and he was described by his friends as a nice boy.

So why would Tweener wanna protect him?

"Because I got lucky getting you as a cellmate and I don't wanna run the risk of getting stuck with someone like Banger as a cellmate..." he answered honestly, like if he could read Jason's mind about not sticking your neck out for other people in here. As cold as the answer was, Jason appreciated Tweener's honesty.

"No offense to you of course!" He quickly added, like if he thought he hurt Jason's feelings or something.

Jason gave the boy an easy going smile, which made him smile back when Jason gave his answer. "It's fine, Tweener. I get it." As sad as it was, he did. After getting to know the boy in front of him, Jason can say that he didn't want another cellmate. He would only switch if he can be with Jaden. If not, then he was glad he had Tweener here with him. Strangely, he figured out that the boy meant no harm to him, and that to Jason was the perfect candidate for his cellmate.

"By the way," Tweener initiated conversation again. "What're you in for?" Jason didn't want to talk about that. He didn't want to say his reason for being in here to anyone. He could say murder, but he was sure Tweener wouldn't believe him due to his behavior and he definitely couldn't say that he was framed for his crime. That could be signing his death warrant.

He was most likely the only innocent person in this prison because, no matter how much he loved Jaden, he did kill their parents and those people. And if someone knew that, they could take advantage of that information in some pretty bad ways...

Ways that made him wanna rush past Tweener and over to the toilet next to the bed and throw up.

He wanted to save himself for Asami and if she couldn't have his virginity, which this whole situation pretty much spelled out, he was gonna die a virgin.

Jason saw Tweener was still waiting, but before he could give the boy an answer, a loud buzzing sound filled the cellblock as all cell doors slid open.

"Yard time!" A voice Jason recognized as Carter's boomed through the cells.

Tweener walked past Jason, stopping at the exit to the cell before turning back.

"Time for introductions..."

Jason nodded as he followed his cellmate.

...

"What's another word for love?"

Jaden took a glance over at Carlos from the cell door as his cellmate sat in the chair at the desk. After Carlos told him that Jason would be okay with his cellmate, he hasn't left his spot by the cell door. He was just aimlessly staring around, glaring at anyone who dared to glare at him. He needed to make clear that if he was fucked with, he would push back hard. And if they were scared of him, then they wouldn't even think of fucking with his brother.

Confusion laced his features as he continued to look at the other occupant to the small space.

"Love?"

Carlos nodded. "I'm trying to write a proposal letter to my girl... which is also half an apology letter."

"Apology?"

"Yeah. You know, for all the shit I've done. The stuff that got me here. The kind of stuff that makes me really sorry and regretful."

"How sorry are you?"

"'I'm never knocking over another liquor store' sorry..." all of a sudden, he gave a tiny smile as he turned and glanced off at the wall. Jaden guessed he was picturing something he found thrilling. "I'm gonna have her get on a cruise and drive by the beautiful island of Sezaki that's named after the daughter of one of early Japan's monarchs."

"Once she sees the island, she'll open the letter and BAM!" He slammed his palms together. He was grinning like a buffoon. "It's like almost being there..." he dropped the grin and turned to face the desk again as he held the pen. "Except for the fact that, you know... I won't be..."

Jaden could almost understand that feeling of regret to the girl you loved. He felt really horrible that he was probably putting Alexis through a really tough time because of his incarnation over his parents and others death. He really wished he could take it all back, not just for her, but for Jason and his own well being.

Not a day went by he didn't think about what he did... and not a day went by where he didn't think about ending it all. Without Jason, he would've done it.

Remembering Carlos' original question, he thought about how he felt about Alexis and tried to put it to one word. He came up with more than a handful.

Shrugging, he replied, "Try passion."

Carlos' eyes brightened. "Passion! Yes that's good!" He went to writing it. He stopped after one letter. "How do you spell that? P-A-S-H?"

Jaden turned to give him a look that boarded on hilarity.

Carlos saw it. "No H?"

"No H."

Another voice boomed from outside the cell. "Yard time!"

Carlos stood up as he and Jaden stood together by the door as it opened, allowing them a short time of limited freedom.

The Hispanic man turned to Jaden, "Let's go..."

...

Jaden kept his head held high and his face stern as he and Carlos entered the prison yard. Jaden took in the surroundings in case he needed a place of his own to sit where he and Jason, who he couldn't find, can be separated from the predicament if only for the short time they had in the yard.

There were benches and bleachers spread out on all corners of the grassy field, all metal like everything in this prison seemed to be. There was a weight area occupied by a bunch of large white and Japanese men with a basketball hoop that, ironically, was occupied by the blacks. There was also a section of tables that people were playing checkers on.

Everyone was spread out in their own little sections and groups, making this seem like high school for only a spilt second before the sounds of guards yelling and the sight of watchtowers brought Jaden back down to earth.

"Like I was telling you in the cell, Fish," Carlos turned to him, hands in his pockets as he and Jaden walked through the large yard. "Everyone has their own section and it isn't smart to try and disturb the natural order."

"Why do you keep calling me Fish?" Jaden asked.

Carlos smirked. "It's what all new inmates are called. You know? A lot of fish in the sea? The prison being the sea?" Jaden blinked. Carlos blinked back. "The prisoners being the fish?"

"I get it, I just don't find it that..." he struggled for the right word.

"Clever?"

"That sounds about right." Jaden nodded.

Carlos shrugged, "It's prison, buddy. Not much in terms of intelligence." He looked over his shoulder and back to the surroundings. "The weights are occupied by the white and Japanese people. They fought once over who would own it, but they eventually decided 'Fuck it' and now co-own the area..."

He looked over to the basketball hoop. "Blacks got the hoops, but that's not all they got. The leader, Sawbuck, is also the prisoner pharmacy. For the right price, he can smuggle in just about anything for you."

"Except weapons, right?" Jaden smirked.

"We make our own," Carlos smirked back. He looked to the watchtower. "I should warn you, the C.O.'s are the biggest criminals in here. Corrupt as all hell. They won't be coming to your rescue if trouble happens. It be wise to learn to defend yourself."

"Considering I'm a fifteen year old kid in an adult facility for murder with life without parole as my sentence, I think I'm good..." Jaden said. He kept taking glances around. Still couldn't see Jason!

Carlos frowned, "Some of the guys in here might see you as a challenge to increase their prison rep. Listen to my advice, Fish; don't talk to anyone unless you have no choice. You said you have a brother in here?" Jaden nodded. "Consider him your only friend."

Jaden didn't ask about if Carlos was his friend. The guy was already doing more than Jaden would've done in his predicament, which Jaden appreciated greatly by the way, so Jaden didn't want to ruin it. A piece of advice Carlos was giving him now may save his and Jason's lives down the road.

He nodded though in response to Carlos' previous declaration. The Hispanic man nodded. "Good..."

Jaden looked around and caught sight of someone on a bench. He was an older Asian man with graying hair and... a cat? He was currently reading a book.

"Who's the pet owner?"

Carlos looked over in Jaden's direction. "Him? He'll deny it, but that's C.D. Fukui, real name Glenn Lee. He jumped out of a plane with $2 million in cash..."

Jaden's eyes widened out of his head.

"After landing, he allegedly stole a car and ran over some woman in Great Valley. Sixty years for vehicular manslaughter..."

"The money hasn't been found and they've been looking for over thirty years." Carlos continued. "Some even say that the money disappeared..." he shrugged. "He's harmless though. A boy scout."

Jaden nodded, glad for that. The less psychopaths he had to deal with, the better. But so far, only Carlos, this Glenn guy, Jason, and supposedly his cellmate Tweener were fine, who Carlos said is probably the softest inmate in here, which did wonders for Jaden's anxiety problems regarding Jason. With four people in a prison with over 700 inmates, that didn't exactly succeed wonders for him.

Carlos looked to a table where two men were playing checkers, surrounded by a bunch of other men.

"Now one of the guys over there is one you should be fully aware of..." Carlos pointed out a man with dark blue hair and green eyes, staring down at the board as he made a move. "Walter Anderson is the head man in this prison. Due to his connections on the outside, he runs just about everything in here, even P.I."

"P.I.?"

"Prison Industries. You do stuff like paint, clean, garden, and other typical labor work." Carlos explained. "You only get $0.19 an hour though..."

"That's slavery!" Jaden remarked.

"It's prison," Carlos countered quickly. "But anyway, you don't fuck with this guy. He used to be a member of this elite gang called 'The Deathmares' before he got caught on murder charges. He's like you with the sentence he has."

Jaden simply nodded.

"He's only one of two people that you need to avoid..." Carlos scanned the area, probably looking for the guy he was talking about. "He'll make things very difficult for you; guy has an anger and patience problem."

"Hey Carlos..."

Both turned their head to see a trio of dark-skinned men walk up to them. The one that called Carlos' name, as evident by the way he was grinning at him, was a tall man with a shaved head and brown eyes that sported a black beard.

Carlos grinned right back, "Sawbuck, my man!" He shook the man's hand after taking one out of his pocket. He looked to the other two, one wearing a white bandanna and the other with dark hair. "Oscar..." he nodded to the man with the bandanna. "Tiny..." he nodded to the dark haired man.

Both nodded back at him.

Sawbuck looked to Jaden, "What you doing with the Fish?"

"He's my new cellie," Carlos explained. "Giving him advice on how to stay alive in here." Sawbuck nodded in understanding. Carlos turned to Jaden. "This is the guy that can smuggle you what you need. You talk to him and your prison life will get better just slightly."

"For the right price," Sawbuck reminded. "Man's gotta earn a living." He then smirked, "A living that puts Anderson's P.I. bit to shame."

"Don't let 'em hear you say that; he'll beat you." Carlos said. "Speaking of, I need something."

"What you need?"

Jaden took a long glance at Walter after Carlos started to explain to Sawbuck that he needed some gloves. He didn't look that bad, but Jaden wasn't gonna take anything at face value here. That would absolutely be the dumbest thing that he could do in a situation like this.

But something Carlos said intrigued him.

Walter ran P.I., which was a way to make money...

And he and Jason, who he was gonna run around the yard looking for after this, needed some if they wanted to have an easy time here.

Despite the warning Carlos gave him, Jaden said this:

"I'll be right back."

He walked over in Walter's direction, Carlos' face scrunching up almost comically as he watched Jaden walk away as he stopped talking to Sawbuck.

"Fish..." he tried to call him back. He didn't dare take a step though, knowing the consequences if he got in the middle. "Fish!"

"Is he nuts?" Sawbuck asked.

"I really think so!"

...

Jason had stepped into the yard only a minute after Jaden did, although neither knew that. Tweener was walking next to him as he got looks from a few different inmates. He had to guess it was because he was a new face, although it could easily be because he only had half a face. They didn't look for a lot longer before everyone went their own way in the yard.

"Most of the guys here won't fuck with you," Tweener's voice caught his attention as he gestured around. "Each group has their own occupation and as long as you don't challenge that, you're good. And if someone offers you a way in, it is almost smart to take their offer. The only exceptions are if they just want you for some dirty work."

"It's that easy?" Jason asked, almost as if he couldn't believe what Tweener was telling him. Naturally he was a bit doubtful at how easy Tweener was making it sound like to avoid problems in prison.

Tweener gave a small nod of his head as they approached the benches. Jason could see the old bolts that were barely holding the metallic seating up in its place. He felt that enough weight could bring the thing crashing down.

"Like I said before, I made the mistake of trying to integrate myself when no one wanted me. It gave me one too many problems that no one needs in the this place. Don't pry yourself into something that you're only gonna end up making worse. Stay off to the side until they call you in. If you only speak if spoken to, you'll have a somewhat easy time here."

He smiled, "So yeah, it's that easy..."

Jason had to smile back. He felt really easy around Tweener. He guessed it had to do with the fact that he was taking the time to help him out when he could easily leave him to the wolves to learn this shit himself. He was grateful to Tweener. Yeah. Grateful sounded about right.

"Look at that..."

Tweener's eyes bugged out of his head as he quickly turned around and came face to face with a group of four men. All were cluttered together as they hovered around the two young inmates. One was, strangely, holding the inside of the man in the middle's pocket.

The one in the middle, dressed like Tweener but also wearing a blue cap with a sick and even prevented smirk on his face looked them both over. His brown hair stuck to his face by sweat, Jason could practically taste the foul liquid from where he stood not that far from him.

"If it isn't the 'in betweener'," he obviously was talking to his cellmate here, who looked to be wishing to sink into the ground to get away from him. His dark brown eyes darted to Jason. "And he's got himself a pretty little new friend here."

"He's one of the new fish." The short green haired man holding onto his pocket said.

He looked intrigued by that, "Hmmm, I do love new fresh meat." He crackled.

Tweener gulped, "What's up, Banger?"

Jason's lone eye widened greatly after hearing the man's identity. Tweener's words from back in the cell were now circulating around his head in an infinite loop.

'He raped and killed six kids... and it wasn't always in that order either.'

Banger gave that sick little smirk over to Tweener now, both to his chagrin and Jason's relief. "Just saw two little piggies who can't seem to find their way back to the pen." He said.

"Was just showing my friend here around," Tweener did his best to look tough in the face of this guy and knowing what he had done, it couldn't have been easy. Jason was sure he himself wouldn't be able to talk.

Truth be told, he felt like he was mute all over again.

"Really now?" He kept smirking. He motioned for his little posse to take a seat on the bench. Once they sat down, he motioned for Jason and Tweener to do the same. "Come now, sit. I won't bite..."

He looked to Jason. "Unless you want me too."

Jason threw up a bit in his mouth, grudgingly swallowing it all down so he didn't look as weak as he did. All this sick talk from Banger only added gasoline to the fire that was his impending heart attack.

Tweener, seeing it was best to listen to the guy, grabbed Jason's shirt and sat them both down. Jason didn't know whether to thank him or hit him.

"Now that we're all comfy, let's start our stimulating conversation with some introductions. You know me as Banger," he looked to the man holding to his pocket. "This is my number two Humpy," he looked to the short red haired and black haired men respectively. "And those are Dicky and Roy.

"We are known around here as the White Supremacist's Gang." Humpy added from his spot by Banger. Jason could easily tell who he was. He had the tag 'Prison Bitch' practically plastered on his wrinkled forehead.

"I truly detest that title," Banger said. "Makes us sound like a couple of violent men. I prefer to see us as the liberating light within these walls. You try and maintain some kind of decency and people shun you for it."

Jason and Tweener both stared in disbelief. Was this guy fucking serious? He had to just be acting like a sarcastic asshole. No one in their right mind would be in a supremacist gang and not think they were violent.

Although this guy did rape and kill kids, so it wouldn't be too out of left field if he was not in his right mind.

"What I wanted to chat about is the upcoming pandemic between us and the coloured," he glanced at a group of black men that were talking to a Latino and another kid. "Blood is gonna be spilled..."

"Yeah I know," Tweener said, remembering the day's worth of provoking that Banger had done a few weeks ago to stir this shit up. It didn't take that much to start something in prison. Not even a light graze on the shoulder was too little to stir the pot.

Banger smirked as he looked to Jason, "It's gonna be one brawl that you don't wanna be alone in," he warned. He placed a hand on Jason's shoulder, feeling a whole lot heavier than Banger actually was. If he wasn't sitting, Jason no doubt would've fell on his ass.

"Especially for a newcomer like yourself,"

"I got him, Banger," Tweener came to his rescue. Any doubts Jason may have had about his cellmate were erased upon those four words. "I'll be the one guarding him."

"As touching as that is, Baby Cheeks," Banger chuckled. "Two little boys against the blacks all by them lone selves isn't exactly looking to be like a winning situation."

"We'll manage," Tweener was now just trying to get this conversation over with.

"Well I would hate to see a couple of pretty faces like yourselves get all mangled and stabby like." Banger chuckled. "We'll protect you... I'll protect you..."

Banger pulled off the hand that Humpy was holding onto and held it to Jason's almost trembling body. "All you gotta do is take this pocket and become part of us..." he smirked as Humpy took the pocket back. "And also never back away..."

"S-sorry," Jason finally managed to stutter out.

"So, he speaks." Banger chuckled again.

Jason was having a real hard time trying to come up with a coherent answer to give to this guy that would make him back off. He never wants to become anyone's prison butt buddy. He only had one love in his life, even if he was positive their relationship was over. He wasn't gonna join a group lead by some sick asshole who raped and killed kids.

Despite Tweener saying to join a group when offered, Jason would have to decline this one.

"It looks like you already have someone." He barely managed to get out. He couldn't think of anything else, so he was almost positive that this wouldn't succeed due to poor reasoning.

He was proven correct when Banger pulled out the insides of his second pocket. "I got a whole other pocket right here." He offered, shaking the pocket like if that would change Jason's mind. He never felt so eager for his injury to kill him before, but he wished he would drop dead right now just to get away from this guy.

Seeing he needed to be rescued, Tweener stood in. "He's mine," all eyes were on him as Jason, Banger, and the silent associates stared at him. Tweener apologized to Jason mentally as he grabbed Jason's arm. "He belongs to me."

Jason wanted to feel appalled by Tweener's sudden gesture, but he was thanking him instead. Maybe this would work.

Banger only laughed, "Now isn't that mighty fine sweet," he said, now focusing solely on Tweener. "Don't mean we can't share the package." He stood up and tapped his backside. "There's another pocket back there for you in betweener. I like having a variety of choices to pick from."

"Sorry, but I don't." Tweener said.

Jason nodded, "Yeah. I only like to be with a single person." And that was Asami. He thought of her beautiful face and body to try and get him to calm down somewhat. It only made him more upset knowing he would never hold or kiss her again.

Banger laughed, "I respect that. I really do." Jason made the mistake of smiling. "But I think we can work something out..."

Tweener gave an aggravated sigh as Jason's eye widened. This guy was relentless, Jason thought. He just couldn't seem to take denial for an answer.

"Fight!"

The sudden declaration made everyone turn to see someone punch a blue haired man in the face. Immediately after, a group of four with socks stuffed with something hard started beating down on the guy that punched the man. They kept swinging and swinging as the convicts gathered around.

"Someone pissed Mr. Andy off big time," Banger remarked.

Tweener had to nod.

Before the guy fell, Jason caught a glimpse the guy's face and gasped.

"Jaden!?"

The commotion almost instantly died down with the sounds of gunfire, all those present in the yard hitting the deck with their hands all up and circled behind their head as the guards started rushing in.

Jason could only think, 'What the hell did you do, Jaden?'

...

Jaden continued his little walk over to the table where Walter Anderson was playing checkers with another inmate. The small crowd that was gathered around them stared at him with either wide eye looks, intrigued looks, or smirks. He ignored them all, focusing on the dark blue hair man who was either oblivious to his arrival or just didn't care.

He cleared his throat, "I heard around that you run P.I., Walter Anderson." He introduced.

Walter moved one of his red chips, "Keep walking, Fish." He warned in a southern drawl without even glancing at him.

Jaden didn't take the warning to heart. "My name is Jaden Yuki and I would like to ask if you can let me and my brother Jason on P.I."

Walter stopped touching his checker pieces, turning his head so Jaden can look at his green eyes. "You got any idea who you're talking to, Fish?" He asked, actually sounding rather intimidating with the way his voice lowered and drew out the words. Still, while it might have sent others packing, Jaden wasn't one of those people.

He needed to get this position so he and Jason can have easier times here. Bad enough that he got Jason thrown in here with him, he wanted to at least make his life all the more bearable since any and all odds of them getting proved innocent was zero.

"Walter Anderson," he answered. "Leader of P.I. and essentially the biggest man within these walls." He spelled out. Maybe if Walter knew that he knew who he was, that would give him enough respect to get him on the crew.

Hearing that increased Walter's ego. "New travels fast around here." He looked at Jaden in a peculiar way with his eyes all raised and his head cocked off to the side. "And why do you want to join my crew?"

"Family," Jaden answered. "But also money. I need money to make my time and my brother's time all the more tolerable. You're the man that can help me do just that." He explained.

He laughed, "Why should I hire you? Trying to get some friends for the race war that's gonna go down?"

Jaden remembered Carlos telling him that but let it pass on through. He wasn't getting involved with it and once he found Jason, he was telling him the same thing.

"No."

"Then give me one good reason as to why you and your brother should be on my crew?"

Jaden honestly didn't know why. He just felt that he needed to try and provide for him and his brother. Walter's chain of work here looked to be his only option. Sawbuck's smuggling business wasn't looking to bright onto his list of choices due to the color of his skin. He remembered Carlos telling him in the cells to not join up with someone who isn't of your kind. If you tried, it only spelled out trouble for you.

It was how Jason's cellmate Tweener got his nickname.

"I have a variety of skills that'll be at your disposal to use whenever you need to." He answered, hoping that saying this would give Walter enough curiosity that he'll take him on his word and add him and Jason to his crew.

He didn't feel all that great about using his King powers within this place. Haou, whom he had forgotten all about completely due to the rollercoaster that was this last day, wouldn't do anything for him here other than cause a bunch of shit. His powers would probably only be good to use to defend him and Jason should the need arise.

Of course Walter didn't have to know that. He could go on thinking the skill set was stuff like painting, gardening, and normal stuff like that.

"Sorry kid, but I'm gonna have to decline your oh so tempting offer. You just don't strike me as having enough balls to handle what this place has to offer." Walter smirked. "I have a reputation to uphold by keeping the best guys with me and you..." he looked him up and down. "Just aren't that."

Jaden didn't flinch when four of Walter's men surrounded him, a small crowd starting to turn and watch. He barely registered it as he was focused on Walter, but he could hear Haou whisper to him.

'Attack.'

Walter huffed, "Now skit."

One member punched Jaden in the stomach, making him wince from the lost of air. Jaden retaliated back in an unexpected way to all those watching.

He raised his fist and punched Walter in the face hard enough to send him to the ground.

"Fight!"

A random inmate yelled as Walter's group smacked Jaden's back with a sock full of what sounded like something metal. Whatever it was, it was hard and it hurt.

The four kept pounding on him for a few seconds, some drops of blood starting to now escape the corners of his mouth. Each hit was more painful than the last, the momentum building with each swing that they took.

Jaden swore he could hear something crack. He definitely felt something and he wasn't talking about the stuffed socks he was getting beaten with.

Gunshots rung out and just like that, the fight was over as quick as it began. Everyone dropped to the ground as they held their hands into the air or circled them around their head.

Jaden had his hands wrapped around his sore stomach as he heard the shuffling feet of the guards rushing up to those around him. Glancing around the yard with his limited vision that was hindered by his position on the ground, he could barely catch a glimpse of his brother with his hands on his head. He didn't even get a chance to talk to him due to his decision to confront Walter.

So much for trying to make things better for them.

Carlos had his head cocked sideways to look at him, looking shocked. Sawbuck was mouthing something Jaden couldn't hear over the sirens and screaming, but managed to read two words:

"Fish... balls..."

Others were looking at him like if he was crazy or at him in glee. Whatever the hell the second one was was something he didn't want to discover the meaning of.

He caught eye contact with Jason for a second. Seeing his brother's fingers move from their folded position, he was able to decipher what they were:

"What the hell is wrong with you!?"

He wished he could respond back, but the beating he just sustained prevented him from moving his hands from their spot around his stomach.

He felt a hand encircle around his bicep as he was hoisted to his feet by one of the guards.

He took a glance at Walter on the ground as he started to get dragged away, asking the man a single question before taking one step:

"Enough balls for ya?"

...

Two hours.

That was how long Jaden's been moving around since his little show down in the yard. He had to go to the infirmary, which was just like any other hospital room except with bars on the windows. He had been deemed as only having a few bruises from the beating, but nothing he couldn't manage. So he was discharged shortly after getting the okay.

And now he was sitting in the waiting room for the warden's office. Apparently, he wanted to have a chat with him about his reasoning for doing what he had done.

The purple haired secretary's clicking of the keyboard on her computer and Johnson's not so light breathing were the only sounds he heard in the tiny space. He had to admit that the brown leather sofa he was currently sitting on was really comfortable. The paintings that hung on the walls were also nice to look at, even if Jaden didn't know how to describe them and how they looked. Anything was better than Johnson's ugly mug.

"Yuki..."

Jaden resisted eye rolling at the tone that Johnson had used when he spoke to him. He was really starting to develop a hatred for this prick that just seemed to enjoy saying stupid shit and acting like an asshole. Carlos was right when he said that the C.O.'s might be the biggest corrupt fucks within these walls.

Serve and protect just didn't seem like their motto. More like steal and abuse.

"You really got balls," Carter said as he looked at Jaden. Jaden gave him his attention to avoid being on the receiving end to that fucked up new motto. "Anderson is the big boy here and to see someone so tiny stand up to and actually take a swing at the guy, one that's still in his first day here..." he chuckled ominously.

Jaden gave a coherent nod in his direction before turning to his side. "If that's a compliment, then I thank you, Boss."

Haou appeared briefly behind his shoulder, grinning maliciously as he whispered in Jaden's ear. "Good punch. I won't be surprised if the bastard's jaw is broken. Next time though, just kill the guy if he gets in your way."

Jaden would've growled if Johnson and the secretary weren't present in the room with him. Now since Yubel wasn't here to help him against Haou, he was sure that he would be hearing his bloodlust fantasies for his duration within prison. If he could, he would ask someone to bring him his Yubel card.

Well, he did see a line of four phones out in the yard when he was there. He quickly dismissed it. He didn't want to get his friends involved with this shit. Slade and Jagger won as far as he was considered. He deserved to be here and trying to prove Jason's innocence probably wasn't the best of ideas since he couldn't do anything from here.

And he refused to allow his friends to be put in the crosshairs of Slade and Jagger. Jason would understand that and would go through it as well, if only to keep Asami safe.

Johnson's not so light sneer brought him back to reality.

"You're talking out your side," Johnson sounded a little offended by Jaden's position as he spoke. He prided himself on these inmates fearing him and talking respect, even if it was forced respect. Seeing this punk go against that ate away at him and his ego.

Jaden looked back, "Come again?" He asked, actually confused and not being sarcastic on his speech. His usually sarcastic remarks or smirk were lost as he looked at the increasingly growing angered look on Johnson's face.

Before anything else could be said, the door opened to reveal a short plumpy man with a bald head, round glasses, and a black suit.

"Mr. Yuki," he spoke in a shockingly kind and wise tone. Jaden expected the warden to be a douche like everyone else that worked here due to the large percentage of corruption. "Please, come in." He held his arm out for him to follow.

Jaden stood up and followed the warden inside, effectively ignoring the still angered look on Johnson's face as the door shut and left Jaden and the warden alone.

His office was highly decorated with a wooden table with papers littered all around with a telephone and a name plate with 'Warden Armin Rockbell' scripted on the plate. He had a closet to the right of his desk and a drawer to the left. There was also a second table with a replica of some kind of tower on it, looking to be built with twigs and toothpicks.

It looked really well done.

"Please," Warden Rockbell gestured to the chair in front of his desk. "Sit." Jaden did just that as Rockbell took a seat behind the desk, facing Jaden with a keen stare.

He took off his glasses, "I must say that I underestimated you," he began, getting a confused look from Jaden. "When I was told I would be getting two new inmates today, I didn't think much of it." He sighed. "But when I saw that it was two kids, one of them injured, I had to think something was wrong..."

He grabbed one of the papers that sat on his desk. "So I did a bit of research on you and found out you and your brother were freshmen in Duel Academy with clean records. To have you both incarcerated in here for life for a dozen counts of murder, I was thinking it had to be a mistake..."

Jaden waited for the 'but'. There was always a 'but' somewhere.

"But then I heard what you did there in the yard; what you did to Walter Anderson..."

"If I may, Warden," Jaden politely asked. "There was a reason for that."

"I'm sure there was," again, he spoke to him kindly. "Walter Anderson is a violent man. You see, Mr. Yuki, I believe in rehabilitation for prisoners, not just punishment. I was just not expecting you to get into a fight on your first day here."

He folded his hands under his chin. "Now what's your side of the story?"

Jaden could smile. This Warden Armin Rockbell was O.K. in his book.

"Me and my brother are the youngest inmates in here," it wasn't a question, but a statement. Rockbell nodded. "And he's critically disabled. He only has one eye and up to a few weeks ago, was mute." Rockbell raised an intrigued eyebrow at that.

"I need to protect him. I need to make sure nothing bad happens to him." He almost bowed. "Please, Warden; if you look past my assault of Walter Anderson, it'll never happen again..."

Rockbell was listening with interest. Again, he underestimated Jaden Yuki. Someone that had killed twelve people wouldn't be like this. He's seen his share of killers; recent inmate Brian 'Banger' Phillips being at the very top as the worst. Jaden Yuki, and presumably his brother Jason, didn't strike him as the type.

"Did Anderson assault you first?" Jaden blinked at the question. Rockbell sighed. "Did you attack in defense?" Seeing what he was doing, Jaden nodded. Rockbell nodded back. "Fine then," he stood up. "Your dismissed..." he gave a warning look though. "But don't go around starting fights just because I let you off the hook this once; and I won't have Anderson punished."

Jaden was now starting to believe that maybe a piece of that corruption got to the warden. Before he could get angry, Rockbell continued. "Ratting and cracking to the higher ups will only get you hurt, maybe killed. You broke too easy. If I punish him, he'll know what you did and come after you."

He grimly looked in his eyes. "I'm saving your life, but this is the only time I can do this."

Jaden nodded quickly, paling at his advice. "Thank you, sir."

He nodded back. "Johnson!" The mentioned guard came in. "Escort Mr. Yuki back to his cell."

Johnson frowned, "He's not going to the hole for what happened?" He almost sounded eager to get the OK to do so. It unsettled Jaden.

"It was a misunderstanding. Mr. Yuki is fine." Johnson grumbled, but motioned for Jaden to follow him.

Warden Rockbell stared at Jaden's retreating form as Johnson lead him back to the cellblocks.

'He's a strange one, that boy.'

...

Jaden's mind was still in a small daze after his conversation with the warden as Johnson escorted him back to Cellblock A. He barely managed to talk his way out of not going to solitary. He was lucky that the warden was a nice guy otherwise he would've fucked things up for Jason even more by leaving him alone in this place.

He also couldn't help but think that his little situation with Walter was a giant waste of time. He lost his cool and threw a punch to the guy that had connections. Now he might've just sealed his and Jason's fate by doing that.

He just couldn't seem to stop making things worse for his little brother. First he got him thrown in here, then he almost left him alone, and now he might've just gotten him killed.

He definitely wasn't winning any brother of the year awards.

He and Johnson arrived in the cellblock. Jaden could either see eyes on him or feel the eyes on him as he walked. He could even hear whispers as they commented on his earlier actions.

At least the message was sent that he was not to be fucked with. At least he hoped that was what the comments were about. He would really hate for him to have to constantly get into fights to uphold his image. He didn't have the energy required nor the patience to do this.

He approached his cell, standing directly in front and now waiting for the word to open it so he can go lie down. He felt like berating himself tonight for his possible big fuck up.

"Open up on Forty!"

Jaden stepped back into his cell as Carlos jumped down from his bunk to meet him.

"Fish!" He almost sounded relieved that Jaden was okay. Jaden was a little touched by that, especially considering how Carlos indirectly said that he wasn't his friend. "What the hell were you thinking!?"

Jaden shrugged. "Tried to get a job."

"By fighting!?"

"Couldn't think of anything else." He answered, but not sheepishly like he normally would've if he would have messed something up around his friends. Now he just sounded regretful and to his own ears and most likely Carlos' as well, kinda cold by the whole thing. That was close. He was angry.

Angry that he fucked up big time against Walter. It was time to start looking over his shoulder.

"Yuki!" Johnson's voice called his attention back to the man that didn't yet leave. "Anderson told me to give you this P.I. card." He was handed a card by Johnson that had his mugshot and name on it. "Congratulations. You just joined the ranks of the employed." He gave a mock salute before leaving.

Carlos was as surprised as he was. "Dude, it took me a year to get on P.I.!" He grinned. "Guess your plan worked, as stupid as it was."

Jaden was grinning too. "Now I can make some money for me and my brother!" Taking those hits was so worth it now that he had made a move up in the prison ladder.

Guess he didn't fuck up that much after all.

...

Walter stared down at Jaden as he was given his P.I. card by Johnson. His face was neutral as he glanced at a picture in his hand.

It looked to be ripped from a magazine. A blue haired boy with green eyes and a small competitive smirk on his face was shown. A duel disk was situated on his arm as the title 'League Champion' was spelled out on top. He looked to be thirteen in the picture.

It was his son. He had to smile. He was happy that his wife, Tara, had taken his kids and left his life of crime, no matter how much it hurt and angered him at first. Seeing where he was now, he was glad that his son hadn't fallen into his life of crime. He was making a name for himself and he was so proud of him.

He was just curious as to why Jaden Yuki looked so much like him. He felt they could be twins if Jaden didn't already have one, one that struck Walter as the really sensitive type as he looked down to his cell below Jaden's. Opposite personalities, he thought.

"Hey," his cellmate, also one of his old 'brothers' on the outside, sat up. "Why'd you give those two cards?"

"He's got balls..." Walter almost whispered as he stared at the picture of his son before going to stare at Jaden. "I respect someone that'll fight even if he's outnumbered. Shows promise and guts."

"Nothing else?"

"Nothing else..." although that begged to be questioned as he continued to look at Jaden. The kid's apparent skill set did peek his curiosity, but not enough where he would give him or his brother a card.

Staring a bit longer, he got his possible alternate reason.

The kid punching him in the face.

Was he angry at what the kid did to him? Oh definitely! He was sure no one liked taking a punch to the face.

Would he do something about it? He was debating that. He couldn't just let Jaden get away with hitting him when he was the head honcho in here, but now that he saw he looked like his kid, he didn't want to. It would almost be like striking his own boy.

And he caused enough pain to him by either staying in the Deathmares or his incarceration. If he ever got out, the first thing he would do is make things right.

He sighed. He would have to find another way to get even with Jaden... that was if he could. He was sure he could though. He was a smart fellow... well, as smart as you can be for prison.

He'll find a way.

...

"Yuki!" Johnson bellowed as Jason hopped down from his bunk to meet him at the cell door. "Anderson told me to give you this." He handed him a card with his name and mugshot on it. "Congratulations," he mockingly said. "You just joined the employed." And with that, he walked away.

Tweener stood shocked as he stood from his bottom bunk. "No way! You got a P.I. card!?"

Jason shrugged, "I guess..."

"It took me months to get on board! Walt must be impressed with you to give you one on your first day!"

Jason looked at his new P.I. card with shock after hearing Tweener say that. Jaden's little stunt was for this!? To get him employed?! He guessed it was alpha male dominated here within these walls and any sort of rebel act would shoot up your prison reputation. He was a tad bit curious as to why he was given one when he hasn't done anything remotely close to that.

He saddened. He wasn't nowhere near alpha male type. He was more of the pathetic runt of the litter that buckled down when faced with something serious. He figured that was why he wasn't the Supreme King in his and Jaden's past lives. He was only the loyal soldier, which he wasn't here. At least Mamoru was strong and could fight.

And Jason knew that he could only retreat and depend on Jaden to do everything for him. He wasn't nowhere near tough or had the stones to do anything that was considered tough. He had to rely on Tweener just to get through the conversation with Banger.

He hoped this P.I. card and Jaden's new status at least kept enough problems off his back where he wouldn't have to worry about having to do drastic actions.

Banger continued to stare at Jason from his cell.

'One way or another, Pretty... you're mine...'

End of Chapter 3 of The Domino Eight

Sorry this is late. I'll try to update more often, at least once a week, but real life might slow me down from time to time, especially since I'm going to be traveling multiple times in the next few months.

You can now see why this is Rated M. We got Banger trying to make Jason his prison bitch. Pedophilia is just the beginning of dark situations.

And I deliberately had it so Jaden and Jason didn't meet up with each other in this chapter. I wanted to show them both going through the first day separately so I can dive further into their emotions. They'll meet up in the beginning of the next chapter.

Like I said before, too much would've happened in this chapter if I put everything. Seriously, I counted all the scene changes and events and it amounted to over twenty different ones. Seeing that, I went 'Nope' and split it into parts.

I don't like chapters that go too long or get too cluttered, which is why I did this.

I have been waiting to write Walter, Tweener, Banger, and the others in for a long time. They all will have impacts on Jaden and Jason's lives that'll change them forever, whether it's for the better or the worst. There's another character who will get introduced in a few chapters that'll be just as important.

And to those who didn't figure it out, Mr. Walter Anderson is the father to our favorite Crystal Beast user, Jesse Anderson! Any questions you may have about why he's in prison in Domino City will be answered as the story goes along. I don't wanna reveal everything about a character's past right away. It takes the fun out. That's why you don't know what Tweener's incarcerated for yet.

And am I the only one who just finds Jason/Tweener adorable? As a perfectly straight male who doesn't mind gay/Yaoi pairings, I ship these guys despite the thing Jason has with Asami... although I am a multi shipper that also ships Jaden with Asami and Jason with Alexis, although Fianceshipping and Disableshipping are my OTPs.

Back with Jason/Tweener... With the moments these two have later, you'll be shipping them all the same ;) They're gonna become best friends, so I'm happy for that! :D

Hope you review if you enjoyed. Like I mentioned up top, I'm trying to make this story one of my best and need some feedback to improve. I wanna know what my strengths and weaknesses are as a writer since I wanna get published someday.

Next Time: Echoless Drop

Preview: "Jason looks for a way to defend himself from Banger as the race war draws near. Jaden's faced with a tough decision. Carlos gets a visit from someone special."


	4. Echoless Drop

Disclaimer: Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX. I only own the OCs**.**

**AN: Thank you to all those that reviewed last chapter. I'm also glad that you guys liked, or in Banger's case hated, my OCs. That's good since they'll all be important characters from here on out.**

**I am sorry this chapter is so late, a month late, but life has been killing me and I was lazy. I'll do my best to keep a frequent update schedule, but with a lot of things going on that'll be tough. Just remember that I haven't given up on the story and never will. I'm always either planning ahead or changing things up if I don't write the actual chapter. Plus, this is VERY LONG as an apology for a lack of an update.**

**To the few who pointed out Prison Break, yes, Prison Break was the inspiration for this story. There will be familiar situations and such from the show, but things won't go exactly the same, as this chapter proves and if it does, I'm doing it for a different reason than the show. Plus, Prison Break has some badass moments I wanna adapt to this story so if you catch a similarity, you now know why.**

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. The race war comes to a head and the boys face a terrible situation. Hope you guys like the drama, and we also get a surprise declaration at the end of the chapter.**

**phillipblast requested for a Q&A section, so post any questions that you may have in regards to the story and I'll answer them as best I can at the end of the next chapter of whenever their posted.**

**Enjoy**

Chapter 4- Echoless Drop

Jaden rolled the paintbrush in the container of white paint as he brushed along the wall in the administration office for a third time, drops of white paint staining his dark blue jumpsuit P.I. uniform.

It was the second day that he and Jason were in prison. It was around eight or nine in the morning from what he could tell. They were all woken up around seven, were given breakfast in the mess hall, and all P.I. workers were halted away to the administration office to do some work after changing out of their prison uniforms.

They successfully had gotten through the first day and the second so far with only a tiny handful of problems. According to Carlos, who was standing next to him brushing the same wall, you couldn't go one day without some kind of problem being thrown at you and that he had done well for a new guy. He said it was admirable in a fucked up way.

He glanced to his right and saw Jason helping to move out pieces of furniture from the office that other inmates were painting. He had wanted to rush up to his brother the moment he saw him this morning and bear hug him, but he was restrained in his efforts by his common sense and Carlos, who had reminded him of the common sense he almost ditched.

"Showing weakness gets you in trouble," the Latino man had said to him when he saw Jason. "Better to not show affection if you want to keep the dogs off your heel."

For someone who couldn't spell passion, Carlos was a smart son-of-a-bitch.

Jaden kept looking as he caught the sight of the guy Tweener, who was helping Jason to move the chair out of the room. He studied his brother's cellmate to see if there was anything wrong or off about him. He didn't like that he and his brother were separated, even if they were cellmates with two supposedly good people. Carlos was alright, but Jaden didn't know anything about Tweener.

The guy had a small smile on his face as he and Jason talked about something that he couldn't hear due to the other chats that were happening around him. From what he could read of their lips, he caught the word 'Heroes'.

What did that mean?

Jason seemed to not mind the company of the guy, giving him small smiles and short responses from whatever they were talking about. Tweener then proceeded to say something else to him that had Jason shaking his head and saying something else as they disappeared back into the room to do what ever it is that Walter assigned to them.

Speaking of the big honcho, he was staring down at a clipboard in his hand while gesturing to places where he wanted stuff done. Jaden halted his movement of the paintbrush to look at the man who he punched in the face the other day. He showed a faint bruise on his left cheek, revealing that Jaden's punch did little to actually hurt him. Despite that, given this guy's reputation, Jaden was worried still that he would be attacked from someone of his crew or the man himself.

Walter seemed to catch wind of his staring and turned his head to look at him. Their eyes clashed, silencing the rest of the room as they each processed their thoughts of the other. After a second, Walter's chuckling broke the self-given silence that Jaden initiated and turned back to what he was doing.

Jaden's chest exhaled right when Walter looked away.

'You scared?' He heard Haou say to him. He didn't dare look anywhere but forward still, not wanting to lock eyes with the entity he was most afraid of. 'He's a punk. Nothing. He ain't gonna do shit to you or Jason.'

Jaden had to ask despite the very obvious answer. 'How do you know?'

'Because I'll kill him...'

Despite practically playing that answer in his head beforehand, Jaden had to swallow some bile from his throat that crept up. He didn't like having the thought of ending someone present in his head. He's done it before, albeit most of them were accidental due to his awakening of his bizarre powers, and still felt terrible many years later. But he did make the vow to protect Jason and himself if he needed to and he would never risk his brother's safety for his own doubts and hesitation.

He already felt like an asshole for getting him locked up with him, he didn't want to get him hurt as well.

And Walter's creepy chuckle there seemed to forewarn the strong possibility of retaliation for the punch. Jaden didn't know if Walter would strike Jason to get back at him, but Jaden was starting to suspect that Walt had some kind of devious plan ready for him.

A touch on his shoulder broke him out of his thoughts. He turned around to see that it was Carlos who had touched him, staring in a mix of confusion and concern for him.

"You alright?"

Carlos might've gone out of his way the other day to say that Jaden didn't have an ally in him, but he didn't like seeing the kid on edge the way he was right now. He wanted to help, but you don't help someone in prison. It was survival of the fittest in these walls and with little time left to serve, Carlos wasn't about to do something that would either get him killed or his sentence extended.

He would at least give some words of advice to Jaden to help him with his own time. With a life sentence ahead of him at fifteen, the kid needed to know what to do to make it.

Jaden nodded. "Yeah... just thinking..."

Carlos frowned a little bit. "About Walter?"

"Yeah," Jaden didn't bother to lie. What was the point? "I'm just a little jumpy since last night... after I punched the man in the face."

"You shouldn't have done that." Carlos did applaud Jaden mentally though for having the balls to even do something as bold as that, regardless of the reasoning. But he should've thought more of the long term and other scenarios how Walter might've taken it. Looking over your shoulder? Bad way to live life, let alone how to live in prison.

Jaden shrugged. "Now that I think on it, it was a stupid idea to get employed for me and my brother. But yesterday I wasn't exactly thinking straight after all the shit that went down..."

He thought about telling Carlos, but he resigned from doing so when he realized that the man most likely wouldn't care and because Jaden didn't really wanna talk about it. It would make this hell he was in all the more real, though Jaden could see the need to accept the hell instead of pushing it away. He almost started shaking, drips of wet paint falling back to the container that he wiped the brush in.

Carlos found his interest and curiosity spiking by a good chunk. He didn't like pointing out the obvious, but you don't see a fifteen year old kid get locked up in a maximum security prison, let alone two. Tweener was the youngest inmate besides them and he was eighteen when he came last year. Needless to say, he kinda wanted to know.

Regardless if that made him a selfish person for being curious didn't concern him. That's he got here in the first place and accepted it over the course of his time here.

"What happened?" The question popped out. He even stared at Jaden with a curious expression that was worthy of a chuckle moment, but that didn't cross Jaden's mind to do when he saw it.

He did however smirk. "I was wondering when you were gonna ask. All those sideways looks were starting to get creepy." He still didn't wanna answer, but at least his suspicions were confirmed about his cellmate.

Carlos smiled back, feeling a tad bit embarrassed at being figured out, despite his previous stare kinda making his curiosity obvious. "You caught me..."

He and Jaden shared a friendly chuckle at that, both feeling the small tension that had crawled in them by Jaden's worry over Walter vanish.

Jaden cleared his throat. "I'm not sure I wanna talk about everything..." even though he wasn't willing to let Carlos know the full truth, as such the framing of Jason and his powers being why some folks were killed, he would humor him with some details. He owed the man that much for giving him advice yesterday. Plus, he needed to do this for himself.

Carlos shook his head, "Don't let my curiosity force you. If you wanna go for it, then go for it. Don't do this if you feel like you owe me."

Jaden smirked, "What about yesterday?"

"That was me being nice. You don't wanna owe anyone anything in here."

Jaden nodded, "Good point... but I'm still gonna say something. Who knows?" He shrugged. "Might help me accept this shit..." he gestured around him.

Telling Carlos about how he came here may help Jaden to accept it if he was to say it aloud. He wanted to stick a knife into his neck already for doing this to Jason. At least if he conquered the first part and began to swallow it, he could make it up to him.

"I was coming home from my school with my brother, friends, and my girlfriend..." he smiled just a little bit.

"You got someone?" Carlos asked.

Jaden nodded, "Yeah, and trust me, she is just beautiful..." he cleared his throat to stop himself from getting too worked up. "Anyway, we were coming home and when we got to the docks... the cops showed up, almost like if they were waiting for us and said that me and my brother were under arrest for a dozen counts of murder..."

Carlos nodded.

He continued, "Then they arrested me and my brother and brought us to the courthouse holding room. We waited for about twenty minutes or so before they brought us to the courtroom."

This time, he laughed. "We were brought here within the hour..."

Carlos frowned, "Seems kinda fast..."

"Yeah..." Jaden frowned too, knowing the truth that surrounded that forced courtroom proceeding. "We arrived here and you already know the rest..." he sighed. "I was with my girlfriend and friends ready for some fun... and instead I got brought here..."

He smacked his palm against the back of his hand holding the paintbrush. "A big ol fuckin' smack to the face..."

Carlos was stunned. "That must be rough. To have a sudden change like that and being kept away from the people you love..."

Jaden only nodded.

"But why did you kill those people?"

Again, Jaden only nodded, his lips shut as he turned away.

Carlos got the message. "Alright... yeah, I wouldn't wanna say either..."

They each went back to painting after that, both lost in their own train of thought as they kept going on with their assigned work.

Carlos was thinking about his upcoming conjugal visit with his girlfriend Megumi, hopefully turned fiancé since he was gonna get an answer today about his proposal letter. He sent it out yesterday after Jaden's little pow wow in the yard. He felt his body start to rattle with nerves as each second ticked away and closer to the late afternoon visit he had.

Unlike most prisoners, since he was Hispanic, he didn't have to participate in the race war tonight, eliminating that paranoia that a lot of them were feeling. He supposed he should count himself lucky for that. He did feel a small sense of paranoia for Jaden and his brother since they had light skin, which classified them as candidates in the war.

Apparently to Banger, if you weren't a darker shade of skin, despite your nationality, you were classified white. Carlos just took that as the white supremacist rulings on race, whatever the hell they may or may not have been. He didn't know and didn't care.

But like he said before, he wasn't gonna do anything to ruin his chances on leaving prison on parole. Despite Jaden being a nice guy, Carlos wasn't sure if he would be jumping in to help him. He only wanted to worry about the answer to his proposal and it was gonna stay that way, how ever selfish that made him.

Jaden felt his thoughts travel all the way back to Haou's not so subtle hint that he wanted Walter to die. He could feel the presence of his alter ego next to him, not knowing if the entity was staring at Walter or him. Even though the hairs on Jaden's neck were sticking up, he still felt that it could be either one of them. He always got tense around Haou, and it was amplified now that Yubel wasn't here to support him.

Without her card, she couldn't stay anywhere near Jaden. It was something he had learned the hard way all the way back when he and Jason were kids and lost in Domino Barrens. He kept calling for her and asking for some assistance out of the woods, but received no feedback until they had gotten out and he was reunited with her card.

But the fear he had back then was nowhere near the fear that he had now. With Haou practically strumming his fingers together in a evil sickening way, along with the prison environment, Jaden felt like he was gonna throw up when Haou's aura started to circle around him in a claustrophobic fashion.

'Should I go for the jugular vein or the brain?' Haou thought out loud to Jaden as he walked over to the small space between Jaden and Carlos and leaned against the wall, arms folded and golden eyes staring at Walter. 'If that motherfucker comes anywhere near us, I'll gladly sink my teeth into his neck and force out his throat.'

Jaden knew he was doing this on purpose to screw up his mental capacity. Ever since fully embracing his power as the Supreme King during his duel with Kagemaru, Haou regularly made it his job to screw with Jaden. Yesterday he even whispered in his ear like some psychotic demon to hit Walter, regardless if Jaden was gonna do it or not.

He wanted Yubel back to help, but he accepted that that wasn't an option. She was in his deck, which was with Alexis, and there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell that he wanted her up here for any reason. He would have to work on his problem with Haou by himself... no matter how scary it was.

Haou smirked, still staring at Walter. 'It's scary? Well then, that's actually intriguing to know.'

"Go to hell..." Jaden accidentally whispered out loud, causing Carlos to momentarily stop his painting to look at Jaden. Shrugging afterwards, he went back to what he was doing. "I'm gonna defend myself if the need arises. I don't need anything from you..."

'Good luck with that. With that little display yesterday, tall, dark, and blue over there is gonna do whatever it takes to keep his reputation high. He'll be coming after you full force and I'll be ready to unleash hell on him.'

"I don't need you..." Jaden, again, whispered out loud by accident. In a repeat of before, Carlos stopped his painting to look at Jaden. This time, however, he saw his lips and hand start shaking.

'I'll be waiting...' Haou ignored him as he let his presence vanish, letting Jaden come face to face with the very much confused Carlos. Jaden felt like slamming his head hard enough into the wall for Haou to feel it as well.

Carlos was staring at Jaden, wondering now why the boy was talking to himself. He didn't feel Jaden was talking to him directly as some of the shit he was saying didn't make any sense to him. He was sure that he didn't do anything to have Jaden angry at him. So why was he mumbling weird shit?

"You all right?" He asked.

Jaden slowly nodded his head before going back to trying to paint without Carlos' staring at him. He wasn't sure if he was, but he was sure that he would get through it. He could handle scary situations. He saved the world from the Scared Beasts, watched his brother almost die a handful of times, and escaped a very dark place of his mind when he was temporarily alone after Jason was shot and he killed his parents and other people.

Repeating that last part, something clicked in Jaden's head. He wasn't okay. He was holding in the fear that this place kept enlisting to him with each passing second. He was slowly losing his shit and with Haou here to keep provoking him and his usual evil presence, it was eating away at Jaden's wall of will.

He shut his eyes tight in an effort to try and calm himself, temporarily succeeding. He didn't know how he was gonna live the rest of his life this way, let alone deal with the guilt of bringing Jason down with him.

He wished he had a way to at least get Jason out, no matter how slim or risky it would be. At least then he would be able to live with himself.

Carlos only gave a half nod in response to Jaden before turning away, looking back for just a second before he went back to his work. He felt worry grow along with concern for the boy next to him. It couldn't have been easy to be trapped in here so young, no matter how big his crime supposedly was.

Carlos didn't respect mass murderers, which Jaden was classified as based on his crime description. If you had to kill one person for survival or to save someone else, that was fine. Hell, if they were as bad as Banger and you just killed them then Carlos wouldn't fault you for that. But to just kill? He couldn't see how someone can live with themselves.

But he still felt bad for the boy next to him. He couldn't shake the feeling off. Something was off about this whole thing. He needed to know. He needed to know why Jaden was here exactly. That whole explanation was a start, but he deliberately left pieces out. Pieces that would clue Carlos in.

"Rodriguez!" The sound of Johnson's voice halted Carlos from doing anything. "Let's go! Time for your conjugal!"

His nerves from his conjugal visit returning, he put his questions for Jaden on pause as he went out to follow Johnson. The answer to his proposal letter was his only concern right now as his hands fiddled together.

'Megumi... please say yes...'

Carlos had no clue Jaden's situation was gonna collide with his personal life and change it forever.

...

"So I decided I needed to stand out from the crowd and get a whole new archetype."

Jason gave Tweener a smile as they moved out one of the chairs from the office to allow other inmates to paint the wall. The conversation the two were having was about Duel Monsters. Remembering that Tweener was a big fan of the game, Jason had asked him when they started work what his favorite cards were.

He listened intently when Tweener said that he started off with a deck of Warrior monsters. Hearing that had made him freeze for three seconds, being reminded painfully of his girlfriend that he would never be with again because of his false incarceration.

He didn't think he could fight it. He knew that if they managed to get Jaden, false or not, that trying to prove himself innocent wouldn't end well for him. He remembered watching movies with Jaden before Duel Academy about this sorta thing. He couldn't quite remember them that well due to his injury, but he did remember the basic scenario of 'Don't fight it or your loved ones will pay.'

And knowing Slade and Jagger, if they caught wind of him trying to go against them, then they'll most likely go after Asami and the others.

Hell, they were so close to throw Chazz to the wolves and disown him that Jason wouldn't put it past them to do something like that.

He brought his attention back to Tweener as they joined up with others inside of the room to assist with the painting. Tweener was currently talking about the series of cards that he used now.

"The Masked Heroes are sweet!" He was grinning as he did small paint strokes on the wall, changing the baby blue to blinding white. "Very useful and powerful when used right!"

"Masked Heroes?" Jason asked. With Jaden as his brother, he knew a lot about Hero cards, including Masked Heroes. He and Jaden just never had the opportunity to find them.

Tweener nodded, "Yep. They're my main cards." He blushed just a little. "I always wanted to be a Hero when I was a kid and when I saw that there were Duel Monsters cards like those, I needed to have them."

He laughed. "I saved up so much money, bought so many packs, and before I knew it, I had the entire Masked Hero archetype." He then settled for a sad smile. "Before I got arrested, I only lost three times when I started using them, and that was when I first got them." He clutched the hand with the paintbrush. "I haven't dueled in well over a year..."

"I dueled my girlfriend right before me and my brother were caught." Jason entered the conversation for the first time.

"Oh yeah!" Tweener's face lit. "You said you went to Duel Academy!" They ignored the stares they were getting. Well, Tweener did. Jason found himself turning his head about to look a few times. "What kinda cards you use?"

Jason smiled. "I actually use unique ones." He caressed his hand over his bandages. "After me and my brother got lost in the woods before my accident, I started designing cards based on the animals that we saw. I thought they were all amazing creatures to gaze at, but the most amazing ones to me were of a raccoon, a turtle, and, strangely enough, a hippopotamus."

Tweener laughed. "Very oddball trio."

"You're telling me," Jason smiled. "I designed them and dreamt that one day, just maybe, they would be a real deal. At the time I didn't put too much hope into it, but it was sometimes fun to think about." He gave a sad smile. "And after I got shot, my brother showed my designs to Pegasus himself when he came to visit me."

"He came to visit!?" Tweener sounded so amazed at that.

"According to Jaden, since he hosted the tournament where I got shot, he felt bad and asked if he could do anything. Jaden showed him the designs and when I woke up, there they were waiting for me..."

Tweener listened to the story and gave him a sad pitiful look. He couldn't imagine getting shot at a tournament for something he loved very much and get comatose for it. But also imagining cards that he designed coming to life was awesome! He envied Jason for that.

"All the sad stuff aside, that must've been cool to see when you woke up!" He was starting to sound like a fan right now, his voice jumping all excitedly and energetically along with his body.

Jason nodded, "Yeah it kinda was. I never intended to do anything with them, so I was really surprised that they were there." He smiled. "I love them. I love them like family, as strange as that sounds." Now he was depressing himself more by reminding himself of Sly, Bentley, Murray and the rest.

"It ain't all that strange," Tweener admitted. "I would probably feel the same way." He grinned. "So, tell me about them! I wanna hear more!"

Jason really felt that he had made a good friend with Tweener. He was a nice guy and he took a interest in something that he did, something Jason still didn't feel like he deserved to have. Then again, he felt that way about having someone as beautiful as Asami as his girlfriend and Alexis and the others as his good friends.

Wow, he thought. Prison had killed the self confidence Asami gave him over the nine months they knew each other within just under twenty four hours of him being here.

He blushed. "I also gave each card a trait that I wished I had..."

Only Jaden knew the truth behind the story of his cards. Everyone else just thought that he made the cards randomly and that was that. But no one, not even Asami, guessed that there was a deeper meaning to his cards. The only reason he was telling Tweener was because he needed something to talk about and he was working toward something else at the moment.

Something that his life depended on. And he needed Tweener's trust for it to succeed since he had it in his pocket right now.

He held up three fingers. "My main three cards I designed are Sly Cooper, Bentley the Turtle, and Murray the Hippo. All three have traits that I would love to be."

"Which are?" Tweener pried, interested to see where this went.

Jason looked down, staring at his worn out sneakers as his arm continued to move up and down the wall. He was really embarrassed to say this and almost didn't, but like he said, he needed Tweener's trust. The best way he thought was to get the guy to pity him.

Hell, it made Asami date him. It could make Tweener trust him and not suspect him too.

He inhaled sharply. "Well... Bentley is smart, Murray is strong, and Sly is cool. I'm neither of those things and wish that I was."

He laughed bitterly. "My whole life I've been a wimp. Getting pushed around, never being particularly great at school, never being clever or smooth to girls or anyone. It made me sad and angry. When I got inspiration, I put all my wants and personality desires into my cards. Every card I made represents a desire, but those three stick out the most to me."

"It would make my time in here all the more simpler to be that way than the way I am now. I'm stupid, weak, and pathetic, which is terrible in prison, especially if I couldn't defend myself against Banger..."

Just thinking this guy's name made Jason wanna crawl up in a ball and rock back and forth uncontrollably. The laugh; the smirk; the hints. They all came rushing right back in that sleazy tone and southern accent that rivaled the guy Walter that ran P.I.

He needed that thing from Tweener now!

He spared a sideways look at Tweener, seeing the boy give him a stare that questioned his intelligence.

"Not defending yourself from Banger isn't a reason to say you're any of those things." Tweener said. "He's a sick fuck. Not a lot of people would even go near him."

"I didn't do it by choice." Jason reminded.

"Well you didn't pass out or throw up, so there's the silver lining." Tweener pointed out. Jason grumbled. Even if he felt like that during that time, he didn't actually do it. That was kinda impressive. "You're a cool guy from what I know. Getting an entire archetype of Duel Monsters cards made for you? Despite the terrible circumstances, that's still a pretty cool accomplishment to be proud of."

Jason smiled. "I am proud of it." That was true. Not a lot of duelists can say that they had cards made for them by Pegasus. The only ones he knew from the top of his head besides himself was Leon von Schroeder's Fairy Tale deck and Seto Kaiba's Kaibaman card. He was in the small percentage of something big.

Maybe he wasn't so pathetic when it came to that, but that didn't help him here in prison.

"Hey!" Tweener suddenly exclaimed, making Jason jump in his spot. "I just thought of something! You can have someone bring your cards to you here and we can play! I got my Masked Heroes in the cell!"

This guy was so excited that Jason couldn't help the smile that came to his face. He could very well call Tweener his friend now, the boy doing a lot of work to spend time with him. It touched Jason. He was the first one that Jaden didn't have to be friends with first to make him hang with him.

Tweener was the first friend he made on his own.

It made Jason wanna say 'Holy Shit'.

The irony was hilarious. His first friend he made in prison was also his first self-made friend. This would go great in some kinda joke book or funny moments list.

"That would be fun," Jason agreed. He didn't tell Tweener that he wouldn't be getting his cards up here. He didn't want outside contact from his friends. It would remind him just how fucked up his life was now and the pained reality he was now trapped in.

Tweener smirked. "Just a heads up that I'm gonna win."

Jason chuckled at the declaration. "Hey, I was one of the nine best of my school." He said, not trying to toot his own horn. He was just letting Tweener know the facts. Plus, it was something else he could feel proud about. It made his depression lighten just a little bit. Lord knows he needed it.

"Out of your year or the whole school?" Tweener asked, in slight awe after hearing that. He was reminding Jason a little bit of Syrus, only a lot more confident.

"The whole school." He was also one of the three final standing duelists in the war against the Shadow Riders, but he wouldn't tell him that. Sheppard asked that they keep it on the down low.

"Damn..." Tweener whispered.

"My brother and I also defeated the Paradox Brothers."

"Shut up!" Tweener leaned in, now staring at Jason like if he was a celebrity.

Jason smiled. "Nope. It's true." He then blushed embarrassingly. "We broke a rule and had to beat them to avoid getting expelled."

"What rule?" Hearing all this made Tweener's anger at his mother's denial of his admission to Duel Academy grow. He would've loved to be there when all this went down and then some. It sounded exciting.

Knowing the Abandoned Dorm was also a no-no to talk about, Jason figured he lie a little. "We broke curfew and dueled someone using the Ante rule of the winner taking the loser's best card... All that was in the first month."

"Talk about a jump start." Tweener laughed.

Jason did too. "Lastly, I was also one of four candidates to see who would be in the duel between my school and North Academy. I made it to the finals and lost to my brother. I beat a friend and he beat my girlfriend."

This was the fifth time Tweener's heard of Jason's girlfriend. He felt a pang of curiosity hit him when Jason brought her up.

"Who's your girlfriend?" He asked before he could go over the question in his head. Seeing Jason stare at him confusingly, Tweener grew a little embarrassed. "Well, you mentioned her a bunch of times and I'm just curious about it." He went back to painting in a futile attempt to drop the question and erase the awkward atmosphere.

Jason thought it over about telling Tweener about Asami. Although he would hate mentioning her since it would hurt, he didn't want to lose his memory of her either.

Plus, he didn't know if his injury would get so bad to the point where he would start forgetting things. He would feel good if Tweener could tell him when the time came, positive he would die from his wound before Tweener's remaining four years in here were done.

He smiled as her pretty face and form came to mind real quick.

"She is the most beautiful girl in the world." Tweener turned when Jason started to describe her. "She has long hot pink hair that stops at her waist, having a bunch of curls in it that gives her an added cute factor on top of her beauty." He loved her hair. It was unique and gorgeous just like her. He wished he would be able to touch it again.

"She has really pretty emerald green eyes that gives me shivers every time I look into them." He could stare at her eyes all day and he could say it would've been a day well spent. "Her pale skin amplifies her face, complimenting it as well as green on a tree."

He blushed. "She's also really... well developed."

Tweener started smirking at Jason's embarrassment. "How well developed?"

"Why do you wanna know so bad?" Jason retorted. He wasn't mad, just curious.

"You can't stop with the description now! She sounds really hot!" Jason gave a small glare at Tweener's comment, not liking it when someone else called Asami hot. If they said she was pretty or cute, he wouldn't mind as much, but saying hot to him meant they saw her as a lust object. She was so much more than that.

Tweener coughed uncomfortably. "Sorry. I got a little carried away there." He hated when his curiosity took him over. He knew he became an annoyance when it did.

Jason sighed, "It's fine..." he and Tweener stayed silent for a few seconds before Jason sighed again, blushing crimson. "She is really well developed in both areas. She has a bigger butt than chest, though." He said, tempted to cross his legs to hide his frontal area that always seemed to wanna grow when Asami was thought of like that.

Tweener was caught by surprise when Jason spoke, not having expected him to answer that part of the question at all. He nodded when Jason told him. "Is that good or no for you?" Jason didn't quite understand that. "Are you a breast man or a butt guy?"

Jason's blush stayed. "Ummm... it doesn't matter. I would love her no matter how developed she was or how she looked." Even if Jason could agree without a doubt that Alexis had a better chest than Asami, he still preferred his girlfriend to his brother's in just about all areas. He still thought Alexis was beautiful and even had a tiny crush on her when he first saw her, but she wasn't Asami. "She did one thing for me that no one else did."

"Which was what?"

"She saved me from my loneliness." He wouldn't ever be able to repay her for that. No matter how many presents he gave her; no matter what he did for her; and no matter what happened between them, the fact that she saved him meant everything to him.

"Wow..." Tweener awed. "That's deep, bro."

"Yuki!" One guard called for him. Jason turned to see a correctional officer standing by the entrance to the office he and Tweener were in. "Infirmary! Let's go!"

Jason remembered that he would be spending a lot of time in the infirmary due to his injury. It didn't exactly sound fun to him, but he didn't really have a choice. It was their obligation to give him medical care or they would all lose their jobs. He just hoped the nurses or doctors or whoever weren't corrupted assholes like the guards.

"You better go," Tweener warned as he kept working on the painting. "These bulls don't like to be kept waiting."

Jason nodded. Suddenly, he tripped and started falling to the ground. He grabbed onto Tweener's pockets, his hands digging in as he tried to find his footing and almost taking the boy down with him.

Tweener blushed as everyone started looking at them. Even Jason's brother Jaden poked his head around to see what the noise was. He helped Jason up, regaining his own footing as well.

"I'm sorry!" Jason apologized as he had one hand balled up to hit his head. "My wound makes me dizzy sometimes and I didn't mean to fall on you!"

Tweener shook his head. "It's cool, bro. It was an accident."

The guard wasn't amused at the action or at being kept waiting. "Yuki! Now!"

"Go before he drags you." He wasn't joking, Jason could tell by the tone.

Obeying, Jason nodded and started following the guard to the infirmary. He let a sad gaze cross his face as he followed the guard. He just played Tweener like some kind of asshole. He felt really bad about what he did.

His injury didn't make him fall. He staged the whole thing to get inside his pockets and take what he needed as least suspicious way as possible. Without his injury, that way he did would've definitely been suspicious. So far, that was the first good thing his gunshot wound had done for him.

He put his hands in his pocket as he unballed his left hand, a small silver circle falling into the fabric of his pocket. It was exactly what he needed to start making a defense against Banger, no matter how small or futile Jason's attempt may be in the end.

It was a quarter.

...

"Come on, Baby."

Carlos was rubbing his hands together anxiously, pacing back and forth in front of the bed within the conjugal room. His already bad nerves were increasing due to how long he was waiting and by the lack of warning he received from his girlfriend about her visit. There was normally a call to let him know, but today? Nothing.

He grabbed at the golden cross that hung around his neck, a devoted religious man ever since his childhood. He twiddled his fingers around it. "Please... Let me have this..."

He let go and started pacing more around the room. "Damn..." he looked up. "This is your fault, Jaden." He didn't care that he was talking to himself or that Jaden couldn't hear him. "You scared her away with giving me that word! Passion!" He scoffed. "I should've just said love. Old, known, and right to the point. None of this fancy pansy 'passion' shit!" He mocked almost humorously.

No sooner than he said that, the door opened up. Carlos' attention was brought to the attention of the new occupant. It was a beautiful Asian woman standing at 5'3'. She had black hair that reached her shoulders with strands behind her ears and black eyes. She currently wore a white shirt, a blue skirt, and black heels as she held a piece of paper in her hands.

"Megumi," Carlos whispered.

She grinned. "Yes..."

He blinked. "Yes?"

She nodded. "Yes."

He grinned back. "Yes?"

"Yes!"

He laughed in the up most relief. "Yes!" He cheered as she ran up to him, his arms encircling around her waist and pulling her into a bear hug.

They started kissing each other. "We gotta get married in a church." Megumi gasped out through the kisses.

"Of course!" Carlos nodded as he kissed her again.

"My mother wants to talk to you when you get out!" She gasped out again.

"What ever you want!" He nodded as he threw her on the bed, both of them starting to rip their clothes off of their bodies.

Before he became lost in his own world and temporary escape from the prison life, Carlos thought this:

'Thank you Jaden for the passion!'

...

At the same time Carlos was having his conjugal, Jason found himself in the infirmary. He sat on a bed that was commonly saw in a doctor's check up room, the white paper that prevented the spread of germs uncomfortable under his weight. He felt a disturbing need to scratch himself down there.

Jason glanced around the infirmary as he waited for the nurse to come in to him. It looked like any standard doctor office. Cabinets locked down with a bunch of needles and medicine inside through a clear glass surface. He recognized a bunch of the pain medication, having switched over a lot throughout the years.

A window was situated to his right, of course guarded off with bars on it. Outside was a cable wire that reached from here over to the barbed wire fence on the other side, stopping just above a small rocky surface that held the barbed wire.

Jason could laugh. Freedom was so close yet so far.

"Good morning, Mr. Yuki."

He was brought back down to earth from his thoughts as the nurse called his name. It was a rather attractive nurse with dark purple hair pulled up into a bun with silver eyes and wearing a typical white doctor coat.

Jason nodded back. "Good morning, Doctor..."

"Ackerman." She answered. She looked over to his bandages. "And I assume this is why you're here."

"Yes ma'am." He nodded.

"Take them off please."

Jason obeyed and did as he was told, loosening them before he let them fall to his open palm. He rolled them up into a ball as Doctor Ackerman stared at the bruised flesh.

"Let's get to cleaning," she walked over to the cabinet and unlocked it. She pulled out a bottle of pain meds and unscrewed the top. She took out two and handed it to Jason. "Take these. This cleaning process will hurt."

He listened and took the pills as she walked back to the cabinet to get more stuff. He sat quietly and didn't think about anything until she returned, putting on rubber gloves and tilting his head up.

"This could've killed you another inch to the left," she said as she took a small cotton ball into her hand, pouring a small dash of alcohol on the ball and began running it over the bruised skin. "You're a lucky boy."

"No I'm not..." he barely whispered above a hearable level. He was sure she heard him since she paused in her cleaning before continuing. He wished he died. He wished that he wouldn't have woke up from his coma. He wished a lot of things that should've happened to him other than a deduction of his life.

It made everything he did feel so pointless. He wouldn't be around much longer anyway to do anything worthwhile with his life and now his sentence to prison only increased his death wishes.

He only thought about how he should've died the entire time he was getting worked on before finally being cleared to leave an hour later clad in new bandages.

...

Jaden was in the yard, walking towards the back fences. He passed by all and came to a stop when he reached the fences. There was a single individual there.

It was Sawbuck.

He faced the man in question.

"Carlos told me that if I need something that you're the man to go to."

Sawbuck nodded. "Yeah, so long as you got the dough."

Jaden pulled out a fifty that he lifted off one of Walter's crew after they had each changed clothes and headed back out to the cellblocks. He figured that this could be some kind of donation for them beating his ass the other day.

Sawbuck nodded again after seeing the money. "What you need?"

"Painkillers..." Jaden answered. With the likely scenario of the infirmary only giving Jason pain medication when he went up there and not to have on hand for the nights, Jaden decided to go shopping.

Sawbuck thought it over. "I should have some within the hour." Jaden nodded as he handed him the money.

"Great..." he turned to walk away before Sawbuck's voice stopped him.

"What's your answer?" Jaden didn't turn back, but stayed anyway to listen to him. "Your affiliation tonight? You're gonna need an answer or else you'll be weeded out."

Jaden could hear a smile in his voice. "Better to have some protection then none, right?"

Jaden was confident in his ability to protect himself and Jason. His plan was to get something sharp, which he found with a piece of glass from the administration office, and hop down to Jason and protect him. He didn't need any protection.

"I mean, I'm just giving you fair warning because everyone is going at it. Whites, blacks, and even the mixed races." Jaden almost turned back around in surprise. "If you don't have someone, you'll get 'em all. You feel me?"

Jaden almost cursed, coming to a realization. If he and Jason didn't get within someone's crew, they were dead. But he wasn't going to Sawbuck simply because he seemed like a shady son of a bitch and there's no way he's asking Walter for help. His best bet was Carlos and whoever he hung out with.

"I'll pass..." Jaden said before finally walking away, off to find Jason once he got out of the infirmary.

Sawbuck watched him walk and shrugged. "Plan B it is..."

...

In the yard, having just returned from the infirmary, Jason was standing behind the bleachers that Banger occupied. He held the quarter he stole off of Tweener in one hand as he proceeded to begin with his objective.

He started to unscrew a bolt from the back.

Jason wanted a weapon. Regardless of potential heat that that could bring him later, he didn't care. He needed something to defend himself with. Banger's words and actions of the previous day haunted him like the ghost of a dead relative. He got goosebumps just thinking about the look on his face and what he first said about him.

'You are very pretty.'

It made him sick.

That's why with the bolt that was close to coming undone, he would possibly do the world a favor and deal with this guy. He would never come onto him or anyone else ever again.

He caught Jaden as he went over to Sawbuck, chatted with him a little bit, and then proceeded to walk away. Jason wanted to tell his brother about Banger, but didn't as he already felt that Jaden had enough on his plate here.

He had his own tension with Walter starting to grow, if those looks that they gave each other in P.I. work was anything to go by, and that also added the possibility of him getting attacked by Walter's people.

Plus, he already burdened Jaden enough with everything they've been through. He could at least solve one of his own problems by himself.

Speaking of the problem, he and his crew suddenly appeared as Jason pocketed the bolt.

Banger smirked as Jason gulped. "What're you doing here, Fishy?"

Jason didn't know how to respond to his stalker. He couldn't tell the truth since he was positive Banger would kill him for it. He couldn't think of any lie since he was A) Not good at it to begin with and B) Whenever Banger was near him, Jason couldn't think or breathe.

And not in the way when he was with Asami.

"Well?" He seemed to be growing impatient, but his smirk was still all there. He looked down to his hand. "What're you holding there?"

Jason opened his palm and showed the quarter that he still had to Banger, who took it, slowly, from his hand and looked at it. He pocketed it as Jason suppressed a bunch of nasty fear induced shivers from Banger's touch.

"Think of that as a fee for trespassing on my property." He gave that sick and low chuckle that had Jason freaking out.

And also moving away.

Jason practically tripped over his feet as he scurried away from Banger and his crew.

"Don't let me catch you around these parts again unless you're willing!" Banger warned as he and his crew took their spots on the bench.

Two pairs of eyes watched the whole thing.

Jason stopped scurrying and came to a stop near the weights. Not all that interested to increase his muscle, he sat down on the concrete ground and just stared down to the grass.

He hated this place. He could feel his blood boil every time Banger tried something with him. He clutched at his lap, feeling the tip of the bolt press into his leg from within his pocket.

He looked up over his eyelid to Banger and his gang. He already felt the temptation start to lead his hand down to where he hid the bolt. He sucked in a breath as his nerve died down as quick as it came.

He didn't have the attitude to kill anyone. Hell, he didn't even have the stones to harm anyone no matter how bad they hurt him. Even Kagemaru, who had nearly killed him, Jason didn't want to hurt him. He felt pathetic that he was arguably the weakest person in this prison and not just physically.

A shadow loomed over him, his heartbeat beating quick as he was scared to look up. Timidly and slowly, he did and felt his nerves calm slightly.

It was Sawbuck.

"Hey man," he greeted. Jason merely nodded up at him before Sawbuck motioned to the spot next to him. "May I?" Jason shrugged, feeling that he really didn't have a choice in the matter here.

Sawbuck took the seat. "I saw what Brian Boy over there did to you..." Jason tensed. "And I may not look like it, but I like kids." Jason still stared at the grass, not responding to him.

The smuggler sighed. "I'm gonna need some back and forth here or else I'm gonna take my offer elsewhere."

Jason looked up, "Offer?"

Sawbuck grinned, "There's the back and forth I was looking for..." he nodded. "Yeah. An offer. Like I was saying, Banger over there isn't exactly a good guy..."

"No shit..." Jason muttered.

Sawbuck ignored him. "And like I said, I like kids and seeing one being treated like that by a pedophile just rubs me wrong."

Jason nodded.

"I'm here to offer you a way to no longer worry about that."

"You're gonna kill him?" Jason was really shocked that he sounded hopeful when he asked the question. Almost a little too eager. It kinda scared him.

"No." And he felt disappointment. "I have four years left. I ain't adding twenty five more, sorry." Jason sighed, but got what he was saying. "What I was offering was protection."

"Protection?"

"That war tonight," he said. "If you help out my kind, and give me a fourth of your P.I. earnings every payday, you'll have the protection of me and my boys." He offered. "Banger won't do shit with us there."

Jason listened to the offer, replaying Tweener's earlier warnings about to never take a deal unless you were really cool with the people giving it to you. Jason understood, but his fear for Banger was influencing his decision making.

"Ummm..."

Sawbuck cut him off. "In case you need more of a reason..." he pulled out a container of pills, very familiar looking pills to Jason. "Your brother Jaden wants to buy them for you, but since we're talking, I figure I help you two save some money."

He shook the container. "If you accept my offer, I'll give you these every week. You'll have protection and your medicine for your face there." He smiled, almost expectedly. "So...?"

Jason thought everything over. Protection from Banger and pills? All just for a cut of his P.I. and his participation in a one night event? He wouldn't be able to hurt anyone, but he can figure out how to make it look like he participated.

Forgetting Tweener's warnings, Jason nodded and shook hands with the man next to him.

"Pleasure doing business with ya..."

...

Carlos grinned as he and Megumi finished up with their little 'celebration' to their engagement. He would have to let Jaden know about how he had been right and would be thanking the guy up and down until he stepped outside the prison.

"Let's call that the start to a fun engagement." Carlos cracked, getting a smile out of his now fiancé as they got dressed. "But I'm curious." She glanced to him. "Your car is in the shop. How'd you get here?"

"Gus drove me."

Carlos jumped off the small bed. "Gus!? As in 'My-friend-who's-been-trying-to-sleep-with-you-for-years-now-Gus'!?"

"I didn't have any way to get here so he offered me a ride." She obviously had had this argument with him before due to her tone of voice, which was relaxed, knowing, and expectant. "He's just a friend."

"No he ain't!" Carlos shook his head. "I know Gus! I know men! Men and women can't be friends unless they're fucking, wanna fuck, or have fucked!" He listed them off as he put up a finger for each. He lowered the number to two. "He falls into number two, Meg!"

She laughed. "Calm down," she stood up after redressing fully. She cupped his cheek. "It's you I'm marrying, not Gus."

Although he did relax under her touch, Carlos was depressed on the inside. She kissed him before she was called out by a standing guard. As he stood in the conjugal room alone, he only thought this.

'But he's out there and I'm in here.'

...

While Jason made the deal with Sawbuck, Jaden was planning a little agenda of his own.

A meeting with Banger.

He saw the way Jason had cowered when the man came up to him and how he was quick to run from him. Even though Jaden would love to help comfort Jason, he had a warning and fear to enlist into Banger for what he did.

He could already feel Haou's murder intent flowing through him like a drug. Jaden wasn't putting up too much of a fight to control it.

Jaden halted his steps by the bleachers, hovering just in front of Banger. His boy toy was holding onto the insides of his pocket while two others were with him. Jaden guessed this was his top crew. That sucked. He couldn't kill Banger now even if he wanted to. He was outmatched, outnumbered, and outgunned.

Banger smirked up at him. "Thought you was One Eyed Willie..." he motioned for his crew to stand as he did so to. "Guess that makes you Bro-Bro."

Jaden kept his glare strong.

"Gotta be honest, you aren't as interesting as Cyclops, though you are pretty too." He chuckled.

"The difference between me and my brother is that I'm the dangerous one." He took that bold step closer to Banger that Jason would never do in his lifetime.

Banger only laughed more. "You really are interesting. Maybe I misjudged you." He moved his hand down, his crew sitting back down on the command like preprogrammed robots. Jaden didn't do it. "Sit." Banger offered/threatened.

"No..." Jaden growled. Banger raised an eyebrow. "I'm only here to issue a warning."

"Issue a warning." Banger repeated in an obnoxious tone. "Hear that boys? Bro-Bro is gonna issue me a warning. Ain't that just cute."

"Adorable." His boy toy grinned maliciously.

Jaden was rethinking his decision to not kill these guys despite the severe disadvantage he had. "I know what you've been doing to my brother. Threatening him and scaring him like that."

"Skip to the point."

"You go near him again, I'll kill you..."

His tone was ice cold. He even let Haou's golden eyes come to life in place of his brown ones. His hands were stiff and opened, ready to either ball into a fist or wrap around someone's neck.

Banger nodded. "That is oh so very tempting, but I don't know if I wanna do that..."

"Don't go near him." Jaden repeated. "If you do, I'll kill you." He was quickly losing whatever patience he had to this guy. Another smartass remark and Jaden was gonna just do it, disadvantage be damned.

Banger didn't retort sarcastically. He actually appeared to be thinking, closing his eyes and humming some stupid song. His crew watched as he did this and then he had his eyes opening again.

"I'll tell you what, Bro-Bro..." his smirk was back like it never left. "If you help my boys tonight, I'll leave One Eyed Willie alone."

"I'm not gonna be your prison bitch."

"Not that, as tempting as it is." He continued to smirk. "Eliminate a few negros and your brother will no longer be of concern to me."

Jaden couldn't tell if he was lying or not. Whether or not he was, this was as good as it was gonna get for him. The odds of Banger ever being alone were probably lower than Jaden's tolerance for bullies of his brother. This was the best of a really shitty situation.

"If you go back on the deal, I'll kill you anyway." Jaden warned him, swallowing his anger and reluctance to give Banger the answer he wanted.

Banger grinned. "Welcome to the family, Fishy." He greeted, extending a hand out for him to shake. Jaden glared as he gave Banger am unnecessarily hard handshake. He separated from him as he turned away.

"Bye." He growled out as he walked off.

Two sets of eyes watched the whole thing. One shook their head and followed Jaden while another just nodded.

Banger's bitch, Roy, watched Jaden leave. "Were you serious about leaving the Cyclops alone?"

"Hells no!" Banger laughed, patting Roy on the head like if he just did something silly. "Once Bro-Bro takes out a few negros, I'll wait a little bit, then I'll kill him, and take his brother as my boy."

Roy looked just a little hurt that Banger would be so quick to throw him away for some damaged goods. Roy did everything to make Banger happy and he just talked about having someone else like if he wasn't even here.

He saw the damaged goods all the way on the other side of the yard, glaring hatefully and coming up with his own plan for tonight.

...

Just a minute after his chat with Banger, Jaden looked down to see his shoe was untied. He was looking for Jason now to inform him that Banger wasn't a problem anymore.

As he tied his shoe, he failed to see someone taking a spot next to him by the fence. Jaden didn't see until he stood back up.

"Oh shit!" Jaden almost jumped, not having seen Walter come up to him. He quickly regained his composure when he saw the blue haired man smirk at him in amusement. "What? Here for revenge against me for punching you?"

Subconsciously, Jaden started channeling into his other half's power. His hand was balled and ready to strike into Walter. Maybe even ready to pierce through the man's chest.

Walter, much to Jaden's surprise, held up a hand. "When you first hit me, yeah, I wanted to ram a knife into your chest." Jaden blinked, but kept his cold face. Little did he know, drawing on the king's power was slowly turning his eyes gold.

"But I have to admit I respect what you did." Walter was as cool as a cucumber as he spoke, leaning up against the chain link fence. Jaden didn't follow his lead, only staring at his kinda enemy. "Little boy like you punching a man like me? And taking a beating afterwards?" He chuckled. "That's admirable."

"So why tell me this?" Even though Chazz and occasionally Alexis liked to poke fun at his intelligence, Jaden was a great observer. Against people, he could figure out quickly when something was off.

Walter shrugged. "As much as I enjoy seeing you squirm when I look at you," Jaden remembered P.I. work this morning. "My respect for you tells me to stop that."

This guy talking in riddles only served to annoy and alert Jaden even more.

"Plus, I'm not sure if you'll be the one to attack me instead of me attacking you." He chuckled. "That'll definitely make shit worse for you if you try that."

Jaden huffed, the idea not having escaped his mind. But hearing the man himself talk like that, it did raise some realization to him. He almost laughed. He had come very close to to doing something drastic. Alexis did tell him that his quick to action, not thinking before he acted personality would land him in trouble someday.

And while it had many times, this would've been the worst.

"Plus, I know why you're in here." Walter didn't miss the way Jaden's eyes fell before he moved them down to the grass beneath them and then to the space behind Walter. "If you can kill your parents, then I wouldn't be very difficult for you, right?"

"Nope..." Jaden shook his head. It looks like the reason for his arrest had finally spread throughout the prison. Based on what Carlos told him, depending on who he killed, that would up his prison rep. Based on Walter's seemingly genuine effort to bury their tension, probably to save his ass, it seemed that his reputation shot up.

"So I'm proposing we put that little incident behind us and move forward." Walter held his hand out. Jaden stared at it hesitantly before looking back up at him. Walter waved his hand. "Come on, Fish, I'm trying to be cooperative here."

Sighing, Jaden held up his hand and clasped it around Walter's. They performed an awkward handshake, Walter gripping too hard and Jaden too light. They pulled back slowly.

Walter nodded before he moved up off the wall and patted Jaden's shoulder. "Word of advice: Be careful when you make deals with someone like Banger."

Jaden glared. "It's for my brother..."

"I get that. I'm just warning you for our new understanding."

He was being too nice now. It creeped Jaden out. His guard never wavered.

"I appreciate the advice, but I can handle Banger..." he hoped he could at least. He then left off in the direction where Jason still sat before Jaden's conversation with Walter began.

Walter watched him walk away, humming softly to himself as he recalled what just transpired between them. His plan was going well.

He would keep Jaden close. He would keep him close and spring a move on him unexpectedly.

The only question now was should he take a toe or a finger?

He smiled. Both sounded lovely.

...

Jaden ran a towel up and down his head as he stepped into the locker room of the prison showers. He took his prison uniform off a hanger as he sat down on the cold metal bench to get his socks on.

It was getting close to night and now the war would begin soon. Jaden could see many prisoners either on guard, tensed, or even excited as they all moved about. He wasn't particularly looking forward to it since he had to kill some people to make sure Banger wouldn't touch Jason. Although he didn't like it, he would kill them for his brother's security. He would do anything for him, no matter how bad it may be.

He just finished talking to Carlos, who had taken time to let Jaden know about how the 'passion' had worked for him before he exited the showers. He didn't know what the hell that meant by the passion.

He could hear footsteps getting closer to him. As he finished putting his pants on, he saw Jason fully dressed and tying his bandages back onto his head, hair soaked and darkened from the shower.

"Hey..." Jaden greeted to Jason as the younger twin stopped by his brother, giving a half hearted smile back as he nodded to him.

"Hi, Jay." He greeted back, taking a seat on the bench next to him. They were silent as Jaden paused in his dressing, seeing Jason look both happy and a little scared.

"You all right?" The elder Yuki asked, Jason turning to look at him. "You seem a little out of it right now."

Jason shrugged. "I'm okay. I'm just a little happy I solved my Banger problem on my own, just in a way I'm not particularly fond of."

"Wait," Jaden paused him, having just thrown on his tank top as Jason talked. "What? You solved it?" Jason nodded, which made Jaden sigh. "Oh good god, yes! Way to go!" Now he didn't have to do what Banger said. He didn't have to kill innocents.

Jason was confused at Jaden's uplifted spirit. "Are you all right?"

Jaden realized what he did and regained his composure. "Yeah. Just happy you solved the issue on your own." Jason gave him a pained smile, though Jaden didn't know it was pained. "So how'd you do it?" He asked as he put his blue button up shirt on. Jason didn't answer, only looking down to the ground as a response.

As he finished dressing and before he asked Jason what was wrong, Jaden saw Sawbuck come up to him and Jason. The smuggler tilted his head backward, signalling the Yuki twins to follow him. Assuming it was to give him the stuff unnoticed, Jaden tied his shoes and followed after Sawbuck to the back of the locker room with Jason behind him.

Where he was subsequently pinned to the wall by two of Sawbuck's guys by the neck and the arm with Jason staring wide eyed.

Sawbuck shook his head. "I thought it was funny how you didn't take my offer..." he looked Jaden up and down. "You already had someone. I saw you talking to Mr. Phillips."

"Huh!?" Jason gasped as he looked to Jaden like if he just lost all respect for his brother.

"I am not affiliated with that prick." Jaden gasped out from the hold he was in.

"Really? Sure looked like the two of you were chatting about something."

"He's targeting my brother," Jaden explained, Jason stiffening just a little bit. "I needed to say something about it. He agreed to stop if I joined him..."

Jason looked to his brother in gratitude, unable to come up with the words to thank him for his decision. He wished he hadn't done it at all, but the thought touched him a lot.

Sawbuck nodded slowly. "You really aren't doing well to defend yourself."

"That's because I'm not done yet!" He glared before glancing at his brother. "When Jason told me just now that he solved his problem, I let go of the deal. I'm not with Banger." He glared at Jason, who looked away shamefully. "Although Jason didn't tell me he made a deal with you!"

"Your brother did the smart move," Sawbuck said. "Unlike you." He pulled out the bottle of pills. Very familiar pills. "And just when you're so close to getting what you want."

"I paid for that!"

"Yeah, well..." Sawbuck shrugged. "You can still get it..." he smirked. "If you help a brother out and lower the white man population by a few..."

Jason's eye widened while Jaden growled, his voice raspy from the hold they had on him. "Fuck that! I'm not killing someone because you told me to!"

"I-I don't think I can kill anyone either." Jason managed to stutter out.

Sawbuck shrugged. "Well, that's too bad since none of you are getting this unless you now take someone out." To pour salt in the wound, he emptied the bottle of the pills into his hand and dropped the bottle. He motioned for his men to let Jaden go. "You should've just joined up when I first offered, Fish." And with that, he and his men took his leave, leaving Jaden and Jason alone in the hallway behind the showers.

Jason felt his nerves rise seeing Jaden's angry and disappointed face. "Jaden I didn't know what to do!" He was quick to defend himself, hating to see Jaden so upset with him. It made him feel like a bad person. "Banger was making advances and remarks and it got to me and-"

Jaden silenced him when he sighed, looking like he just found out that Alexis didn't love him anymore. "Just stay hidden until I get to your cell." His tone spoke massive volumes as he talked in a serious and monotone voice.

"What're you gonna do?" Jason asked, sweat starting to pour down his head from the combined efforts of the heat and stress. He's never seen Jaden so serious before. This must've been how he was like when Jason sacrificed himself in the duel with Kagemaru. It was scary.

Jaden closed his eyes as he sighed again and bent down to pick up the empty bottle after opening his eyes again. He looked at his brother before clutching the pill bottle, knowing how much Jason needed them. He threw the bottle across the hall in frustration before he huffed angrily.

After calming down, he revealed his answer. "I'm gonna lower the white man population..." he answered before leading a shocked Jason back to the cellblock.

Into the eye of the storm.

...

After arriving into their cellblock, Jaden and Jason were each locked up in their individual cells with Carlos and Tweener. Once they were locked up, Jaden began counting down the minutes in his head until the time came for the fight, or rather war to begin. And also the time when he would need to plunge the tip of a knife into someone's throat.

Banger's throat.

If Jaden needed to go after someone to get the pills from Sawbuck, he was gonna go after the sickest fuck in here. At least then his conscious would be somewhat clean and guilt free.

Jaden was sitting on his bottom bunk, trying to figure out now how he was gonna do what he needed to do. He had no weapon to use other than his two hands. The thought of using his powers to take someone out was tempting, but then that ran the risk of Jason getting caught in the crossfire. He still had little control over the actual powers of Haou, only being able to increase his strength by a little bit when the influence of his past life flowed through him. He wouldn't put Jason at risk, so his powers were out.

Carlos was sitting on the top bunk, his legs dangling over the side of the bed as he looked at the only weapon in the cellblock. Jaden barely had caught a glimpse of it, but could see that it was a sharpened end of a toothbrush held together with black electrical tape. Jaden didn't ask for the weapon. It wasn't his to ask for and Carlos had made the weapon. Plus, his cellmate needed something to defend himself with too.

"Almost..." Jaden had heard the barely audible whisper of his cellmate above him. Jaden only nodded to himself as he adjusted into a laying position on his bottom bunk.

"Yep..." Jaden answered back, not sure what else he could say to the man above him.

Carlos shifted as his legs moved further off the bed, his body following suit as he landed on the ground with a huff. He leaned over Jaden's bunk, using a hand for support over his own bunk. His knife was not present, Carlos probably hiding it in his pants pocket.

"You scared?"

Jaden smirked. "I didn't think you would care." It came out teasing, but the words spoke the truth. He thought Carlos had indirectly state that they weren't friends. Why the sudden worry for him?

Carlos looked a little flustered at getting called out. "W-well, you see I like having you as a cellmate. I don't have to worry about possibly getting the sausage, if you catch my drift." He explained. If Carlos was being honest with himself, he kinda had taken a liking to Jaden. The kid had balls and also had Carlos' respect. Plus, he had helped Carlos get engaged to the love of his life. That alone certified Carlos' forever liking this kid.

Jaden smirked, "Excuses, excuses, excuses," he teased. "Carlos Rodriguez has taken a liking to me."

"Shut up, idiot or someone'll take that the wrong way!" Carlos exclaimed, looking very flustered and embarrassed as he took a worried glance outside to see if anyone heard Jaden. They all seemed to have heard Carlos instead, but the inmates were too busy finalizing whatever plans they had for the war.

Jaden's grin was the only response needed to get Carlos grumbling.

"Shut up." The Hispanic man warned, although there was no energy or malice in the warning. It was a tired one of defeat.

Luckily, Carlos was saved from a retort by their cell door sliding open and the yell of Johnson to line it up.

Both guys looked to one another, sighed, and then took a step outside into the upcoming blood bath that was about to take place.

...

Below, Jason was close to hyperventilating.

His chest was rising up and down too quick for him to count how many times it already had. His hands were shaking, one hovered over his stomach, and his legs were bouncing uncontrollably as he stayed seated on the bunk. He felt his head start to beat in pain, wondering if it was his injury, stress, or a tragic combination of the two.

The fight was about to start, the bolt that he had stolen outside in the yard sitting nicely in his pocket. He wasn't sure if he would be able to hit someone with it, but the ultimatum that Sawbuck offered him and Jaden didn't really leave him much choice other than to figure it out. He would have to or else he was gonna die.

Tweener was watching the whole thing, leaning his back against the concrete wall as he watched his friend go berserk.

"I know it's scary," he said compassionately. "I've been here once before. Freaking out like that is only gonna cause more people to come at you." He ran a hand over his body. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly all brawn here. I can't fight off everyone that may come our way."

Jason nodded, his body slowing down just a little bit. If Tweener hadn't been watching him the whole time, he wouldn't have noticed the reduction in Jason's speed.

Tweener sweatdropped. "Come on, bro."

"I can't help it!" Jason apologized, hiding his eye over his eyelash as he lowered his head. "I hate fighting. I don't like seeing people get hurt, especially for something dumb like a pedophile murderer provoking a bunch of people." He shook his head. "I can't help it if I'm weak."

Tweener didn't think Jason was weak. Just kind hearted. Still, telling him that would only reinforce that since being kind hearted can be seen as weak in times like this. But the kid could use something to calm him down before he passed out.

Nonetheless, he sighed. "Well that's life in the big house." Tweener said, his tone a little sad and frustrated as he spoke. "And I know that Banger is an evil scumbag. He forced a friend of mine to be his slave and when he couldn't take it anymore..." Tweener took a deep breath as the awful memory came back. "He hung himself." He balled his fists.

Jason stared surprised. "I'm sorry." He couldn't ever imagine losing any friend, whether it was one of his best friends like Chazz and Alexis or even Zane or Bastion. He would lose his mind and be emotionally destroyed if that ever happened.

Tweener shook his head. "You didn't do anything, so don't apologize." He sighed. "This was two weeks ago and the son of a bitch acts like nothing went wrong and it never happened." He growled. "I want him to pay for it."

Jason could very well guess what Tweener's goal may be in this fight. He didn't think Tweener hated Banger this much. He thought he was just scared of him like he was. He guessed he shouldn't assume he could figure everything out about a person from a single interaction.

"Are you gonna kill him?" It was the most obvious question that he could ask at this point to his cellmate.

Tweener laughed bitterly. "I know I can't. Hell, I can't even kill myself... no matter how much I've wanted to this past year since I've arrived." He looked at his reflection in the dirty mirror over their sink. "If someone is weak between us, Jason, it's me..."

Jason didn't get a chance to respond as their cell door slid open with the echo of Johnson shouting for them to line it up reaching their ears.

Tweener grabbed the shank from under the table, hiding it up his long sleeve thermal shirt. He gave Jason as best a comforting smile as he could, the one eyed boy returning him a nervous one.

"Here we go..." Tweener said in small fear and worry as the two stepped outside of their cell, nowhere near ready for the battle that was about to commence.

...

The convicts were all lined up neatly in little rows, arms all at their sides as they each stared at the person in front of them, just waiting for someone to make the first move. Jaden could taste the intensity, which was also very present on everyone's faces. Still, no one moved.

He looked up to the third floor to see Walter all the way down the right side of the row, looking as cool as always. Carlos was next to him, mumbling some prayers under his breath. Sawbuck was across from him, giving him that smirk that made Jaden glare. Banger and his boys were all the way down to the left of the first row, all smirking and ready to go. And lastly, though he couldn't see Jason or Tweener, he knew his brother well enough to know that he was most likely wide eyed and breathing heavily right now. Jaden himself was just waiting for something to happen.

Which it did a minute later when a white inmate below in Banger's row stepped out of line. Johnson was not happy.

"Get your ass back on the line convict!"

"It's here..." Carlos whispered, hands moving so slowly towards his pocket as everyone stared at the convict below step out of line.

No sooner did the words come out Carlos' mouth, did the other inmates let out all battle roars and charge for each other, knives and shanks handy as they began stabbing each other.

Jaden let out his own yell of 'Fuck' as the Duel Academy Slifer watched multiple men get stabbed. The blood spewing out and the holes being carved into their bodies was making his cheat tighten in panic. Within a second, this place has turned into a brawl out of hell with no signs of the death stopping.

Johnson and the other guards had very quickly locked themselves behind the door, watching everything from the safety behind the barred door.

Jaden really didn't blame them.

Carlos was yelling for him to get inside the cell, but Jaden stood on the outside like an idiot, looking down rapidly for any signs of Jason. His panic rose into the highest level possible and even a tad bit above that as he lost sight of his brother.

Not that he had it to begin with.

Two Japanese inmates came up to him from both sides, boxing him in as Carlos was holding his knife up so the third and final one couldn't get at him.

Jaden didn't get a chance to raise a fist before he was backhanded across the face by one inmate and pushed by the other, tripping over the railing and plummeting to the first floor. He landed with a loud smack and crack that would've been heard had the inmates weren't yelling.

He blacked out just a little bit, hearing a loud screeching noise in his ears like if he had something blown up too close by his ears. His vision became cloudy and blurry as he tried to get up, getting to his knees. He was promptly knocked back to the ground from his four legged stance by another inmate who had accidentally kicked him in the temple while running from another inmate.

The buzzing in his ears increased tenfold, not hearing anything other than the screeching and very faint echoes of the yelling. He wanted to think about where Jason and Carlos were, how they were doing, and even if they were still alive. That's what he tried to command his brain to register, but he only received pain and more pain.

He made out a silhouette of a person coming towards him as he laid on his back, his head turned towards his left. He could also barely make out the fallings of many bodies that increased by the second, white; black; Japanese and all ethnics alike.

He suddenly felt weight press on top of him. The knees of the man that had stopped in front of him was now on top of his stomach, winding his arm back to plunge his knife within Jaden.

Adrenaline kicking in right then, his hands found their way up and encircled the man's hand that was holding the knife. His vision was still blurred, but was slowly coming back. He could see red hair and a second hand pressing on the handle of the knife, the sharp object now being pushed toward him with more force as Jaden used what strength he had to keep the knife from stabbing him.

The tip of the knife was reaching him, no matter how hard he had tried to push back. The cold tip pressed right on his cheek, sending a rippling feeling through Jaden's body. It felt like getting injected by a needle at first, only a lot more hot and painful. The knife then started sliding up towards his right eye, leaving a nice mark as it pierced his skin. Blood dripped down his cheek after the knife crossed his eye, Jaden forcing it shut to keep it.

Once the knife finished sliding up his eye, barely missing the cornea and allowing him to keep it, Jaden let out a scream that couldn't be heard over all the others. Hell, he couldn't even hear it and he was the one he did it.

He felt Haou's presence, the energy that he usually got when he tapped into his dark power welding up in his skull. He couldn't here his alter ego, but he guessed that it was for him to use the power to avoid them both dying.

He felt the knife start to begin another trip down his face, but the powerful weight was suddenly lifted off him like a terrible secret. He knew that whoever was on top of him had gotten off for some reason. He didn't know why, but he was taking this opportunity.

He opened his eyes again, knowing they the golden color of Haou and not his usual brown. He got all his vision back, now seeing everything going on in front of him clear like if he was watching it on a HD television. His hearing returned too, but he almost lost it again when he was hit with the full force of the screaming once again.

The man that tried to kill him, now being recognized as Banger's boy Humpy, was on the ground with a knife in his shoulder. Jaden didn't know who stabbed him, but they had his gratitude.

Growling, Jaden took two steps to Humpy, now above him. He glared down menacingly to his attempted killer, who was starting to pull the knife out. Taking his chance, Jaden brought his foot up and brought right back down on Humpy's throat. He felt the cracking of something in his neck before his body slumped over, the knife he was trying to get halfway out his shoulder.

Jaden bent down to get a weapon, ripping out the knife from the dead man's shoulder with a almost satisfying gushing sound, before looking up.

He saw Carlos peering down, breathing heavily like if he was dragged across the world and back. He could see him gasping, not really sure whether that was from his killing of Humpy or his gold eyes.

He then turned around to see Sawbuck peering down at him, arms folded and an approved look on his face that was followed with a nod. Jaden almost glared. He was half thinking about killing this guy.

Jerking his head to the left, he could see Jason, who was being pinned against the wall by someone who Jaden guessed was Roy and the dead body of his other man Dicky by him. Tweener was being pinned on the ground by Roy, his head being crushed slowly by Banger's bitch's foot.

Seeing red, Jaden yelled as he took off in a sprint to Roy. Tightening his hold on the knife until his knuckles turned white, he made it behind Roy as he started to strangle Jason.

To which Jaden's response was a knife to the back of his neck, pushing it further in until he felt the knife come out on the other side of his neck.

He left the weapon in as he tossed Roy's corpse to the ground by Dicky, sparing the second man he killed a short glare before he helped Tweener up on his feet. He then looked to his brother, and his appearance made Jaden's bloodlust drop to zero.

Jason's hands were covered with nothing but blood, pellets of the body liquid dropping to the floor in an echoless clash that was lost amongst the screaming. His face had blood on it, staining his bandages with the warm liquid. His eye was widened greatly, his breathing out of control as he shook uncontrollably.

And just like that, Jaden figured it out.

Tweener rubbed his temple where Roy tried to crush him to death. "Banger's goons jumped us the second this went down!" He yelled as they took refuge in his and Jason's cell, Jaden having to yank Jason inside as he entered a fighting position by the entrance. "I don't even know what happened!"

Jaden growled. "Jason!" His brother didn't respond. "Jason tell me what happened!" Still no response. He growled again. "Fuck!" He left his position as he turned around and yanked Jason by the collar, his rage and impatience taking over. "Tell me what the fuck happened!"

It snapped Jason out of his trance as he started nodding.

"O-okay!" He said, seeing Jaden's golden eyes and figured making him angrier wasn't a good idea. Jaden let him go as Jason gulped, still reeling from shock over what he had done. "Here's what happened..."

...

The screaming deafened him almost immediately.

Jason watched with only horror as bodies started falling right after the first scream was unleashed. He watched everyone grab onto someone and just start hacking away into their torsos with their makeshift knives.

Tweener tried to get his attention, but he was still in shock from the sight of men killing each other like a pack of wild animals. He looked towards his friend, who was motioning for him to get back into the cell. Even though Jason's brain told him to listen, his feet didn't move.

He saw Jaden and Carlos get surrounded by three men. He watched in horrifying anticipation of what was gonna happen to his brother. He tried to think of a way he can help, but nothing came to mind.

He gasped when Jaden was thrown off the railing and fell to the ground below. He saw Carlos call out as he got surrounded by the three inmates. Carlos took a hit to the face as they all started wailing on him. Walter was nearby and took two of his men with him to chase off the people attacking Carlos. Whatever he did after that, Jason didn't know.

He was too focused on his fallen brother.

He began to rush over, but a fist caught his face and he was stumbled back into Tweener.

He saw the one known as Dicky smirk at him. "Uh-huh," he shook his head. "I can't allow you to do that." He pulled out a shank. "Roy wants me to pin you down until he can get here. Says he has something to do to you."

Knowing their boss, Jason only thought of one thing as he listened to that.

"What?" Tweener asked, taking a brave stand.

Dicky smiled. "I'm to kill you, In-betweener so you can't stop Roy from taking out Cyclops here!" Jason gasped at hearing that Banger's crew wanted him dead. With the way Banger toyed with him, he figured they try to keep him alive.

Tweener shook his head. "I won't let you kill me or my friend..."

Dicky shrugged. "I ain't asking for permission." And with that he charged at Tweener, saving Jason for Roy.

Jason quickly moved out of the way as Dicky slammed Tweener into the wall. His friend dropped his knife from the sudden hit, going for a knee to the groin as Dicky took a step back. He growled as Tweener punched him in the chin, trying to stun him for an opportunity to get his knife back. Dicky was barely winded.

Tweener found himself back against the wall, groaning from the hit as Dicky aimed to stab him in the heart. Tweener was hanging on, but he would soon give in.

Jason felt terrible. Tweener was fighting to try and help him and he was paying him back by staying out of the way because he was scared. He always hated this. Someone always had to protect him. Jaden; Asami; Alexis; and now Tweener. They all protected him because he was too weak to do it himself.

He felt like such a selfish asshole.

'Why can't I just help someone for once!?' He screamed mentally, seeing the knife get closer to Tweener's heart. 'I wanna help someone! I wanna be the hero for once! I wanna be the protector! I wanna be the savior!'

Watching his friend about to get stabbed when the knife touched his shirt, something in Jason snapped.

Reaching into his pocket for the bolt he stole, Jason did the only thing he could.

Jason jammed the bolt into Dicky's neck, pushing it in as hard as he could. His victim gasped as blood spewed out onto Jason's bandages as his hands were slowly covered in the sickening red color. A few long seconds later, Dicky fell to the ground lifeless.

Jason started breathing heavily as Tweener looked to him in shock, rubbing his sore hands that were holding Dicky off before. Jason ignored his questions of concern as he looked to his hands, his mind fading out as he focused solely on the corpse by his feet.

He killed someone.

He had taken a life.

He was in so much shock, he didn't see Roy looking in his direction. The right hand man to Banger was so angered, he ran right to Jason and slammed him against the wall, Jason's back taking the full force.

Jason was so shocked at what he had done that he barely put up a fight against Roy. His hands were half heartily wrapped around his as he tried to push his attacker off. Tweener tried to help him, but was knocked down with an elbow. Roy's foot came right onto his friend's head while his hands went around Jason's neck.

"Damaged goods..." he barely heard Roy mutter. "Damaged goods... damaged goods... that's all you are! You're damaged goods!" He tightened his hold, Jason starting to black out.

Roy gasped suddenly, blood spewing from his mouth. Jason watched as a knife came right through Roy's throat, his hold on his neck loosening before someone threw him off of Tweener and him. He slumped against the wall as he saw who just saved them.

Jaden.

...

Jason was shaking his head. "And then you showed up..."

Jaden was shocked that Dicky tried to kill Tweener to allow Roy a opportunity to get Jason. Banger wasn't gonna take kindly to this. If he wasn't obsessed before, he definitely was gonna be now.

But Jaden was more concerned about how Jason was handling the trauma of killing someone with his own hands. Jason had killed before, but they all had been the penalties of a Shadow Duel. He's never had to directly kill a living person with his own two hands before.

The bolt that Jason used was on the ground right outside the cell. Leaving Jason and Tweener for a second, he went out to grab it to inspect just how exactly Jason was able to do what he did with a small weapon.

And right as he took a step outside the cell, he was tackled by a Japanese inmate. Glaring as he rolled right back up on his feet, Jaden was getting ready to use the bolt to commit kill number three.

He was stopped when a black inmate came from the side and took out the Japanese inmate for him with a barrage of stabs before taking off.

Curious, he took another glance up to the second floor to see Sawbuck nodding down at him. That was when Jaden remembered. Sawbuck promised help if he lowered the white man population, which he had by two people. He guessed the smuggler was owning up to his deal, but Jaden would rather have Jason's pills. He could kill just fine on his own.

"Yuki!"

Jaden cursed his luck and lack of a break as he looked ahead and saw Banger staring at him. The psycho's own knife had much blood on it, his face also matching with a sickly shade of red. He was also looking shocked and furious. Following his stare, Jaden found out why...

Roy and Dicky's corpses were right outside Jason's cell with Humpy not too far away with a crushed neck.

The two stared at each other, both silently preparing to go for another kill with the man they were staring at. Banger's knife was up while Jaden's bolt was lowered in a slash position.

Before they charged, alarms started blasting across the cellblock as tear gas was thrown into the chaotic warzone. The fighting stopped as riot geared officers charged in, leaving the inmates left alive to scurry off towards their cells. Jaden ran up the stairs and practically jumped into his and Carlos' cell, the door sliding closed soon after he did.

"Fish!" The man himself called in relief as Jaden laid spread eagle on the floor, the bolt rolling out of his hand as he tried to catch his breath. His eyes were no longer gold, having retreated back to brown when he ran off.

Carlos was no worse for wear, only a few bruises compared to Jaden's new scar that Humpy had given him across his eye. "Jesus, man, I lost track of you after you killed Humpy!" He was talking a mile a minute, Jaden pulling himself up into a sitting position against the wall. "I saw you fall and was forced to not help by the men who did it. I had to wait until they were chased off by Walter and his people..."

"When I finally got a chance to look, I saw Humpy about to kill you! Panicking, I threw my knife down, hoping it would do something to help you." He followed Jaden's lead and also took a spot against the wall, both panting heavily. "Glad it worked..."

Jaden nodded. "Thank you..." he managed to get out. Carlos nodded back as both fell silent, listening to the sounds of the mess that had just gone down getting cleaned up.

...

Which took over an hour.

Jaden was still against the wall while Carlos had moved to the bed twenty minutes ago. He was still breathing heavily, now having had time to replay exactly what he did in his mind.

He just killed Humpy and Roy, and to top it off, Jason had to kill Dicky.

It was all so fucked up.

'How is that fucked up?' Haou's oh so pleasant voice asked as he appeared in front of Jaden. 'They tried to kill you and Jason! You should be happy that you did it!'

Jaden almost growled, but kept it from escaping when he realized Carlos was in here too. 'I'm not sad I did it...' he admitted. 'I just think it's fucked up how fast and chaotic shit got.' He sighed. 'I'm also worried at how Jason might be.' He saddened. 'I swore to protect him... and I couldn't make it in time to stop him from doing something horrible.'

Haou shrugged, 'Maybe he'll toughen up a little more now.' He frowned as Jaden appeared bewildered. 'Brother of the Supreme King shouldn't be such a coward. For gods sake, I don't know how that hot piece of ass Asami even loves him.'

Jaden glared. 'Shut the fuck up! He's kind hearted, so what! Even I, the new Supreme King, don't like what I did.'

Haou smirked. 'Well if gets to be too much, I'll gladly take point on the situation...' his tone pretty much said he was all too eager to try and find an opportunity to take Jaden's body. Now that Haou was fully awake due to Jaden tapping into his anger during his duel with Kagemaru and at last getting control over Haou's dark energy, the former king just killed for a chance to take full control. Before he was lost and would only get a chance if Jaden used an Evil Hero card he wasn't ready for. Now that he was fully intact with the cards, Haou's presence was now full time instead of part time due to their souls finally fusing together and regularly clambered for a chance to be the dominant spirit.

Jaden glared at his alter ego. Before he got a chance to retort, the sounds of someone entering the cellblock got everyone's attention. Carlos even hopped up from the bed. They both peeked outside to see it was Warden Rockbell.

"I don't what to say to you gentlemen." He sound angry and disappointed. "How can you expect me to respect you when you can't even respect yourselves." There was a pause. "So to teach you a lesson, we're going under a 48 hour lockdown. No mess hall; no yard; no visitation. Try this again and the next time it's gonna be a week then the next time will be a month." He sounded serious. "Think about what you've done." And then he left, leaving the inmates alone.

Carlos crashed about ten minutes later while Jaden didn't move. He was just about to go to his bed when a low voice called across the quiet cellblock.

"You there, Bro-Bro?" Banger's voice was a low tone that echoed across the prison cellblock at a high volume. Jaden growled.

Down below, Jason was huddled against his bunk, legs pulled up to his chest as he cried. Tweener was sleeping off the headache Roy gave him.

"Just wanted to let you and Pretty know that I'm coming for you." His chuckle came next. "And you're not gonna like it..." he said in a sing song tone. "You're dead. You hear me! You're dead!"

Jason started crying more, silent sobs escaping his mouth as he buried his head in his legs.

'I want Asami!' He thought. 'I wanna go home!' He would've sounded like a frightened child had he been talking.

As he heard that, Jaden came to a realization.

They were gonna die in here. Unless they got out somehow and stayed out, they wouldn't last in here with all these crazy fucks. He barely managed to take down two guys in an all out brawl. He was sure if he hadn't taken down two of Banger's boys, Sawbuck's people wouldn't have helped him and he would've been dead. Not to mention he would've been killed by the first had Carlos not thrown his knife.

And if it wasn't for Tweener, Jason would've died too.

They weren't built for this place. They shouldn't even be here. Even if Jaden had actually committed the crime, there shouldn't have been any evidence to convict him and Jason was straight up innocent.

They had to prove that.

Staring down at his bloody hands, Jaden made a very big decision regarding his and Jason's next move in these walls after the blood bath that had just taken place.

It was time to leave.

It was time to escape.

End of Chapter 4 of The Domino Eight

I hoped you guys enjoyed the extra long chapter as repayment for not updating sooner. Over 17,000 words was worth the wait, right? ;)

We got a lot more insight on Walter, Carlos, Tweener, and Sawbuck's characters. These guys all are awesome in their own way and Banger will start playing a bigger role in two chapters.

We also meet someone else next chapter that'll be very important too. Chazz and the others will make a comeback next time and then we'll start going back and forth between Jaden/Jason and the others.

I almost split this into three parts, but then decided not to and just wrapped up what I like to call 'Introduction Arc'.

Jaden and Jason each just killed someone, although Jaden killed two people while Jason only killed one. I warned any 'Supreme King Jaden' readers that death was gonna be big in the spin off. This is just the start of a long list.

The plot has been revealed! A breakout!

Now we can move the plot along with the breakout. Now that's gonna bring about some very interesting scenarios.

I also got a new poll for you guys. I really need some feedback.

Next Time: Planning

Preview: "Jaden reaches out to Chazz to help him with the escape. Needing connections and help, Jaden attempts to recruit Walter Anderson and Carlos Rodriguez on the escape team."


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